


Phoenix Rising

by ZeroTheGrimm



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst and Feels, Depression, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-08-25 06:33:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16656031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZeroTheGrimm/pseuds/ZeroTheGrimm
Summary: Yang lost more than just an arm at Beacon. She lost her partner, her team and even her career. But more than that, she lost her dreams and the will to keep on fighting. But when old enemies reveal themselves, and a plot spanning Kingdoms starts to unravel, Yang will soon have to decide just how far she is willing to go to protect those she loves.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, first chapter and post on this site. I'm posting here because apparently, not all people use Fanfiction. You can also see my work on Fanfiction so give that a try if you like. Might be better since I'm still getting used to this site. There are more authors notes there then on this site so yea. Enjoy and please comment. Gimmie dem comments.

 

 **Beta:** Coeur Al'Aran

**Chapter 1**

* * *

 

The world was on fire.

It was either the world or her. Beacon was burning, abandoned and lost - but so was she. Pain lancing up her right side, Yang grit her teeth and opened her eyes.

“Where… is Blake?” She rose to her feet. Blake was hurt, stabbed by some red-headed bastard wearing a mask. Like the ones from the White Fang. Probably was one from the White Fang, who else could he have been?

Gritting her teeth she moved to place one hand up against the wall. Okay, back track. She remembered Blake being hurt, so she’d charged at the man and-

The blonde stumbled against the cool metal, cutting off her train of thought. She groaned, feeling more pain then she should have, before pulling her face from the steel as she finally recognised her surroundings. A Bullhead, yet to take off since the back door was still open.

What was going on? Were they leaving already? Where was Ruby? Where was Blake? Was that why they hadn’t taken off? They were waiting for the others? Where… Yang glanced to her right, lilac eyes wide. Several emotions went through her mind. Horror. Anguish. Anger and confusion.

Where was her arm!?

Yang took several steps back, eyes wide as she frantically looked around. H-her arm. W-where was it? Why was it...that man! He did this! She stumbled before someone helped steady her. “W-where…” It was suddenly a lot harder to breathe. To even stand or be conscious. She felt like she was going to throw up at any moment.

“Easy.” Sun Wukong guided her onto a seat against the wall. She hadn’t even seen him. “You need to stay calm. Blake...Blake left-” Sun had to push her back into her seat when she tried to get up after hearing him. “Y-Yang! You're in no condition to go out there. Or even stand for that matter…”

“Let me GO!” Lilac eyes turned red as her body started to produce heat. Her hair flared up from the force of her semblance, forcing Sun to jump back.

Immediately, Yang winced and clutched her arm in pain. She felt it burning. She could feel the...the stub of her arm… it felt like it was on fire. It had never happened before. She screamed, unable to suppress the sounds of her agony

She collapsed onto her hands- onto her _hand_. Yang grit her teeth to the point they felt like they might shatter. Her forehead touched the ground, hand clutching her stump as if that would somehow relieve the pain. It only seemed to make it worse.

Why did it hurt? Her entire body started to swell up in pain and heat. She was sweating as fast as her semblance was evaporating it, the bulkhead under her body starting to warp from the heat. She couldn’t be sure, but even her clothes seemed to slowly turn into ashes.

“It hurts. It hurts so much. Why... why does it hurt?” Her entire body stiffened, curling into herself in a futile attempt to stop the pain. She forced her head to look up from the floor to see Sun’s distraught face. He took a step toward her only to wince in pain and step back. Her semblance, it had never been like this before.

Yang fought through the agony. Perhaps in some odd way the pain she was feeling added to her power. She didn’t bother thinking about it. She stepped forward making Sun take a step back in fear. Her body slowly raised itself up from the ground despite it all.

She had to find Blake. She _would_ find Blake. She _will_ find Blake. She-

The only warning Yang got was Sun’s eyes looking at something behind her before wincing.

The last thing she heard was a thud as something hit her on the back of the neck and the sound of her body coming into contact with the cold floor.

_B-Blake..._

* * *

 Yang’s eyes slowly fluttered open with a groan. She looked at her surroundings, not noticing much, other than that she was in some building. Everything was dark.

“Easy.” Something as bright as the full moon came into her view. She had to shield her eyes, looking to the side for a moment before she saw Weiss smiling down on her. “You're going to be okay, but you need to rest.”

“B-blake...where... Ruby…” Yang sat up from her bed, only to be guided back down by Weiss’ hands on her shoulders. She felt too weak to fight back.

“I said you need to rest.” Weiss moved the covers over Yang’s body before frowning at the look she gave her. “Ruby… Ruby is going to be fine. Your uncle brought her in and she’s stabilized.” Yang’s body relaxed immediately at the news. Sore muscles unclenching. She still looked to her teammate for more answers. Weiss grimaced, “Blake...Blake is fine too.”

Yang felt much better. What Sun said...it must have been a dream - a nightmare.

“What’s wrong with Ruby?” Weiss had said stabilized, what had she stabilized from? Yang tried to get up again only for her team mate to push her back down.

“I...I don’t know.” Weiss admitted. “I think she just exerted herself too much but she’s _fine_ now.” Weiss made it a point to remind Yang of that. That her little sister was okay. “That dolt is too stubborn…to...” It was like she was trying to comfort herself as much as she was her teammate. Yang moved her arm to rest over Weiss’. She seemed to appreciate the small action if the smile on her face meant anything. “Just get some rest.”

“...” Yang finally noted the state of her right arm when she turned her head to the side. She had wanted to grab Weiss’ hand with her right but couldn’t. She stared for a few more moments before turning back toward Weiss’ direction.

The school, it had been destroyed. Run over by Grimm. Pyrrha, Penny...and all the other students and civilians who had gotten caught up in the fight. They were all...

“Hey…” Weiss clasped her hands over Yang’s before giving a tight squeeze. “I’m right here, you know? I’m not going to leave you.”

Yang clutched Weiss’s hands back. Squeezing a bit too hard by the wince Weiss gave, but she didn’t tell her to stop. “Promise?” Yang was pleading. She knew. She couldn’t bring herself to be ashamed of that fact.

Weiss looked her right in the eyes, squeezing her hand as tight as she could before nodding. Her grip was almost enough to make Yang cringe. A testament to how tired and weak she really was. “I promise.” Weiss said. “A Schnee never goes back on their word. So get some rest, okay? I’ll be here when you wake up and who knows, Ruby might even be up as well.” Yang nodded weakly. Whatever was going on, they would face it together.

Yang paused for a moment before nodding. She faced the ceiling of the building they were in before her eyes slowly drifted shut, her hand still squeezing Weiss’. They’d get through this together.

As a team.

* * *

 It was the smell that woke her up the next time. Stink might have been a better word to describe it, however, since it made her teeth curl up and shake. Her face scrunched in disgust before her eyes finally locked onto the source. Her uncle.

Wait…

Her uncle!  

“Uncle Qrow!” She immediately regretted sitting up. Her entire body screamed out in pain at the action. One part in particular more than the others.

“Easy there Firecracker.” Her uncle eased her back down, much like Weiss had done not too long ago. At least, she didn’t think it had been long ago. How long had she been asleep? Given the state of her body, not long enough.

“How lo…” She took a moment to breathe in, only to cough at the smell of his breath. “Been drinking a bit more than usual?” she asked instead, trying to fake some humour.

“Not nearly as much as I would like.” He took another swig of his flask before releasing a deep breath… much to her nose’s horror. “How you doing?”

“I’m...I’ll be ok.” She had Weiss with her and Ruby was fine. Blake was somewhere around here. She had to keep repeating that to herself. “How long was I out?”

“A while.” Ever the helpful old man.

“Well, where’s Weiss and Blake? What about Ruby? Can I see her?” She knew Weiss wouldn’t lie to her about Ruby but she still wanted to see her little sister with her own eyes. She also wanted to see how Blake was doing… She had been wounded, hadn’t she?

Her uncle didn’t seem pleased at the question. “It’s probably better if you don’t get up.” he said. “Ruby’s still asleep and it’s not really safe for either of you to be moving.”

Yang didn’t like the idea of not seeing her baby sister. Not knowing the exact condition she was in. They said she was stable and fine but what if she wasn’t really in one piece? What if she had some scar? What if she was paralyzed? Just thinking about it made her heart beat rapidly against her chest. Her breathing starting to pick up.

“Hey.” Her face was guided toward her uncle. “Ruby’s fine. The little squirt will be just like she was the last time you saw her.”

After a moment to think about it, she gave a nod and a heavy sigh. That helped. If anything happened to Ruby then… She shook her head. No. That didn’t matter. What mattered was that Ruby was alive. She was in one piece. “So where’s Weiss and Blake?” She wouldn’t mind talking to some familiar faces that didn’t stink of booze.

Again by her uncle’s expression he didn’t seem to like that question. “Weiss is out tending to some of the other injured.” Qrow explained. “Not everyone was lucky enough to get their own room.”

When Yang finally had time to take in her surroundings she saw it was indeed a single, small room. Wooden floors and walls. Comfy bed. A hotel maybe? Some sort of inn? Was there even a difference between the two? Heh. If Weiss or Blake were there, they could probably have told her. Give some boring explanation and possible origin of the two words. They were a lot alike in that regard. Being nerds.

“Thanks…” She knew it wasn't by luck that she got her own room. Her uncle must have pulled some strings or something.

“No problem, Firecracker.” Yang groaned waving her arm around when he squashed his hand into her scalp. The hair! Watch the hair!

“Nhhh...what about Blake?” She hadn’t seen her yet.

“...I don’t know. Lot of people are everywhere and I can’t keep track of them all.”

Yang let out a frustrated groan, wincing at her sore body’s reaction. Her whole body felt like crap and it really sucked.

“You alright there, Firecracker?”

Yang groan, which led to more pain and her face scrunching up. Alright? He had already asked her that and she felt a compulsion to give a different answer this time.

“I’ll manage…” She had to think positive, if only because the negative was so overwhelming.

Blake was safe and well somewhere. She would see her as soon as possible if she would ever be allowed to. If she could even stand properly herself. She’d prefer to see both Blake and Weiss at the same time if only to talk. About what? She didn’t really care so long as they talked. She’d also see her sister. With her own eyes. See that she was really whole and undamaged. Even if she was asleep. It would make her feel better just to see her. To hold her hand and give what comfort she could to the unconscious girl.

 

* * *

 “Now tell me if it hurts.”

“It hurts. It hurts!”

Yang thought herself to be a tough girl. From all the training she did as a child to the small occasional battles she had with other people in Patch for picking on her sister. Sure they had taken most, if not all the damage in those fights, barely being able to crawl back home, but she digressed. She thought herself to be tougher and stronger than the average huntress in training.

So she couldn’t help but feel emasculated by how the doctor was handling her. She wanted to blame it on her wounds and how exhausted she was, but another part of her, the part that was screaming out in pain, wanted to blame the not so gentle handling of this god damn woman!

After a few more moments of the woman’s hand touching her aching body, she pulled back with what Yang swore was a slight entertained look. “Yes, she seems to be quite sore.”

She could have told her that!

“So can you do anything for her, doc?” Now, her uncle was usually pretty laid back. Drank a lot for one reason or the other. She didn’t pry. She liked drinking herself but she couldn’t help but want to smack that small smirk on his face till it was indented. Maybe he thought her struggling was a sign of how well she was. Maybe it was. That still didn’t change the fact that she wanted to pummel him.

“Hm? Oh yes.”  The doctor looked like she was interrupted from a pleasant thought. “We can fix up those sore muscles no problem. It will take some time to heal. Possibly up to a few weeks, but nothing too serious.”

It certainly felt serious from her examination. Now that she wasn’t in anymore pain, Yang had a moment to take in the doctor's appearance. She was a faunus if those brown ears and long tail had anything to say about it. Both animal appendages were brown save for the tip of her tail which was black.

“Thanks Tsune. I appreciate it.” By the way Qrow talked to the doctor and how she nodded back, it seemed like they knew each other. Friends maybe? Former lovers? Yang shook her head. Ugh, gross. She was bad enough as it was.

“Alright then.” Yang’s face paled when the doc held out a needle about as thick as her arm. “Let’s begin the first dose of treatments.”

First dose? Treatments? As in, there would be more than one?

* * *

 She officially hated doctors.

Doctors were supposed to make you feel better by the time they were done. This one did not. She felt even worse and was really unable to get out of bed now. In the day or so she had been in town, at least she assumed it was a day since she kept sleeping and waking up, she hadn't seen Blake or Ruby. She also hadn’t seen Weiss besides that one time when she first woke up. It was nice to see her uncle but she wanted to get out of this bed and maybe see someone who didn’t stink of booze and aftershave.

The smell tended to get old after a while.

She didn’t even know how the outside looked like. If it was dark or bright. She hadn’t left this room since she was brought into it and that, among other things, frustrated her to no end.

Yang glanced around the darkly lit room for a moment before slowly, and rather painfully might she add, sitting up on the bed. After that she dragged her partially numb body to the edge and for the first time today, pressed her feet on the wooden floor. Her hand gripped the side of the wooden desk beside her, slowly placing pressure on her feet.

And just like that she fell flat on her face.

Fuck.

Yang tried to stand, and when that wouldn’t work she tried pushing herself up. Again, she met with failure. Normally, one hand would have been more than enough. She must have slept longer than she’d thought. That, or the doctor really messed up.

She wasn’t sure how long she laid there. Maybe half an hour, maybe less. By then her body was starting to ache from laying on the wooden floor and she was pretty sure her face or some part of her body would have a small dent from the tiles.

Her uncle couldn’t have gotten a room with a smooth, flat floor? No. It had to be rectangular tiles with small, tiny gaps. She hated those. They were sore on her feet.

She could call for help. Assuming anyone answered, she would be hearing it from her uncle for the rest of her recovery. She had enough pains without having to add a headache to it. When the door opened her head shot up. Part of her hoping it wasn’t her uncle and that it was someone that could keep their mouth shut. And it was...Sun?

Eh, she could work with that.

She waved for him. “Lend a hand?” Guh. Not the best, even for her. Didn’t even mean that one. After a moment of shock, the blond rushed over to Yang. His hands instinctively went to either of her arms which made her wince and in turn made him cringe back.  

It also made her fall flat on her face again.

“Sorry!”

“Just get me on the bed.” She’d suddenly lost the urge to explore.

“Sorry.” He apologised once again, helping her up onto the edge of the bed. She held her hand out for the faunus to back off signaling she didn’t want to lay down. She could at least sit. Probably.

“It’s fine…” She groaned, rubbing her sore face before shaking it off. Even that hurt. “So, what’s up? How long have we been here?” She’d been lucky to get a nice room to herself but not one freaking clock? Seriously?

“It’s been three days since the attack.” Sun explained. “You’ve were out the first two…”

Had she really slept for two whole days? Sun didn’t see her until now so had she woken up a day earlier? Guh. Yang rubbed her head when she thought too much into it. Whatever. It didn’t really matter now. If it had been three days though… “Ruby hasn’t woken up?”

Sun shook his head. “Not as far as I’m aware. She’s got her own room though.” Probably because of their uncle. “She’s resting. She’ll be alright though.” Yang could tell that the normally chipper guy was feeling down. Then again, given everything that happened, she couldn’t blame him.

“So...the rest of your team alright?” Yang asked. “Neptune and the others okay?”

Sun nodded. “Yea. They wore themselves out from fighting but they’re good now.”

“That’s good.”

“Yea...”

“...”

Well...it just got quiet real fast. Sun and her didn’t hang out much, but come on. “So...how is everyone else doing?” Yang asked, “I’ve sort of been locked up here the entire time. They won’t tell me much.”

“Most of the professors and teachers are accounted for.” They had their position at Beacon for a reason. “They’ve been taking up position around the city in case…” Sun didn’t have to say it. In case any Grimm decide to cut their trip to Beacon short and come to Vale.

With the negativity and grief around all the people in Vale, it wasn’t unrealistic to think the Grimm would be attracted to the town. If it really had been three days since the attack, then people were likely still scared. People would be shaken for weeks, if not months to come, and during that time there were bound to be more Grimm attacks, which meant even more negativity... Talk about a vicious cycle.

“What about the other teams?” Thinking about how everything sucked wasn’t going to make things any better. The best she could do right now was get up to speed.

“All the teams from the tournament seem to be accounted for.” Sun explained. “Nothing too serious. The students that are able are also set up around town. At least until it’s their time to evacuate.” Well that was good to hear. Though there were bound to be some people who probably weren’t as…

No. Enough of that. Just keep thinking on the positive.

“Anything else?” Anything that she should know? “Weiss still tending to the others?” Or had she been moved to a lookout position.

“Weiss is still doing what she can for the injured.” Sun confirmed.

It may have been better that she was acting like a nurse then scout for any signs of Grimm but when Yang thought of the things Weiss might see. All those wounds, the screaming and groaning? Yang clenched her bed sheets. Weiss would be stained with so much red. Still, it was safer, right? Not that Weiss couldn’t take care of herself but there could be so many.

Yang hit herself in the forehead to Sun’s worry. _Stop it! Yang Xiao Long, get ahold of yourself!_

“Eh, don’t take it out on yourself?” It was the only thing Sun could come up with given her sudden action.

She smirked, letting out a small snicker and a wave of her hand to try and ease him. “Sorry. Was just teaching myself a lesson.”

“Well try not to do anything that might involve injury. If you get hurt while i'm in the room, who do you think is going to be blamed?”

“Hm…” Now there was an idea.

“Yang, I’m serious here.”

“What, afraid your girlfriend will hear about how bad a nurse you are?”

“That’s not funny…”

“Geeze. Blake never likes my jokes either.” Some people had no taste.

Sun cringed, glancing to the side. Yang couldn’t help but notice how distraught he looked, the normally bright man’s eyes dull and heavy, even as his teeth bit down on his lower lip.

“Sun… what’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“Sun...”

“Just recovering from all this crap.”

“You’re shaking.”

Sun cursed under his breath.

“You’re hiding something from me.”

“Guys always hide stuff from girls. Not porn this time. I swear.”

“Is this about Blake?” Were they having an argument?

“I-I should go. You probably need your rest.”

Yang gripped Sun’s wrist before he could flee, only to be dragged out of the bed and sent tumbling to the floor when he didn’t stop. Her body folded beneath her. She wasn’t even strong enough to kneel.

“Yang!” Sun knelt down to check on her, face full of concern “Are you okay?”

“Tell me!” She clutched the collar of Sun’s shirt and dragged him face to face.

“I…”

“NOW!”

“I shouldn’t…”

“You will if you don’t want a black eye!”

Sun tried to look away but she was having none of it.

“Where. Is. Blake?” Sh pronounced each word carefully, just to make sure he couldn’t misunderstand. Sun’s eyes drifted shut.

“Gone…”

Yang felt her stomach drop.

“Gone? Gone where?”

He didn’t respond.

“Where is she, Sun?”

“I don’t know…”

“Where is my partner?”

“I don’t know!”

He was useless. Yang pulled herself up and staggered to the door. She needed to find Weiss. Weiss would know where Blake was. Maybe by Ruby? She would have tended to her personally, Ruby was her partner.

Yang stepped out into the hallway, frantically looking around. Wooden hallways, wooden floors, oaken table to the sides with some fake flowers. Everything brown. Some kind of hotel, second of third floor judging by the view from the window. None of it mattered. She had to find...find...Weiss!

If she found Weiss then she would find Ruby and no doubt Blake as well. And if Blake was missing, Weiss would know where she was.

Yang took a step forward, only to tumble and fall on her face. She grit her teeth, trying to pull herself up against the wall. _Get up. Get up!_

She couldn’t afford to just lay around anymore. With her shaking hand, she dragged herself along the wall, sliding with one shoulder constantly pressed against it to help prop her up. The soles of her feet burned and felt numb with each step, but she didn’t care. She pushed on. She needed to find her team.

The next door was ajar and from within it, a tuft of familiar hair poked out from beneath white blankets.

“Ruby!” She pushed into the room, making her way to the bed before collapsing beside it. “Ruby…” One hand reached out, nervously hovering an inch from her sister’s face. The skin was pale, paler than usual, but there was a faint rise and fall to her chest. She looked so fragile, even more so with the bandages crisscrossing over her eyes. “W-what happened to you?“

“I’m not sure.” a voice said. “Her uncle won’t tell me what happened. She’s fine though, her eyes are fine and will heal.”

Yang spun in time to see Weiss standing in the doorway.

“Sun told me you were moving. You should still be in bed.” Weiss stepped into the room, placing some bandages down on the side. Yang could see some red stains on her normally immaculate dress.

“Weiss, where have you been? Where’s Blake?”

“I’ve been out changing bandages on everybody. I just came to change Ruby’s again.”

“Where’s Blake?”

“Things are chaotic out there. People injured, civilians and Hunters both.”

“Weiss…”

Said girl look agitated from the scrunch on her face. She moved beside Yang before crouching down to change Ruby’s bandages. “You might want to look away.”

“You might want to answer my question.”

Weiss sighed, “What do you want me to say?”

“I want you to tell me where Blake is.”

Weiss’ head snapped to Yang. “I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t?”

“I mean, I can’t.” Weiss’ hands fell from Ruby’s face, giving up on changing the bandages. “No one knows where Blake is.”

“I-I don’t understand…”

“What do you mean you don’t understand?” Weiss snapped. “She ran away. Left us. She did exactly what she said she would never do.”

“You’re lying…”

Weiss scoffed. “Excuse me? Why would I lie? Why would you even be surprised - running is all she ever did.”

“Shut up...”

“She left us. She left Team RWBY. As soon as you and Ruby were injured, as soon as we turned our backs, she ran. She ran like the coward she is!”

“Shut up!” Yang almost shouted.

Weiss laughed. “What? You want to defend her? Defend this?” She motioned to Ruby. “She never cared about any of us. Not me, not Ruby - not you.”

“I said, shut up!” Yang surged to her feet grasping the front of Weiss’ dress and pushing her against the wall. Weiss was wrong. Blake would never run away. She had promised them. She had promised her!

“I have every right to speak!” Weiss struggled but couldn’t get free. “I’ve been out there every day!” She pointed to the window. “Looking after the wounded, looking after Ruby - looking after _you_! Where’s Blake when all of this is happening? Why isn’t Blake helping me? Us? Anyone?! I’ll tell you why! Because she’s a cowardly bitch!”

“Take it back!” Weiss was pushed further up against the wall.

“You’re right. She’s part cat, isn’t she? It would be more appropriate if she was part dog!”

“RARGH!” Weiss’ shoulder slammed into the hardwood floor as Yang tossed her out of the room. The heiress’ face was cut off a second later as Yang slammed the door shut. With tears forming in her eyes, she leaned up against the door falling to the floor.

“Yang…”

Yang clenched her eyes shut and gripped her golden locks.

“Yang...please…open the door.”

Blake couldn’t be gone. She couldn’t be.

“Yang…” Weiss whispered. “Open the door. I’m sorry…”

Her knees pulled up to her chest as she rested her face on top of them.

“Yang…” A moment of silence. “I’ll...leave you alone with Ruby. I’ll change her bandages later. I’m...I’m sorry about Blake…”

“Go away…”

“Yang, I promised...I won’t leave you…I’m not Blake. I’m part of the team and I’m not going anywhere.”

Yang’s teeth ached. Her body shook. This couldn’t be happening. This had to be a nightmare. She would wake up. Her team would still be together. Beacon would still be in one piece. Everyone would be happy. Ruby would be awake and well.

She would have two arms...

“I’m going to go now…” Weiss paused. “I promise I’ll be back.”

“Don’t bother...”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath

 

**Beta:** Coeur Al'Aran

**Chapter 2**

* * *

 

The third day of life at home was no different than the second, and that no different from the first. Lilac eyes snapped open, fist rearing forward as though to strike some invisible foe. Yang immediately regretted the action as she lurched forward, flopping onto her legs with a silent hiss. She stayed that way for a good minute or so, breathing whispering from between her lips, before she finally formed the strength needed to sit up straight, back coming to rest against the headboard.

“Ow…” Her back hurt from not straightening herself out earlier and continued to ache even as she sat there. She felt exhausted. Everything hurt.

For a moment, in her dreary state, she dared to hope. Dared to hope that it was all just a nightmare, that none of it had really happened. That Blake hadn’t abandoned her… that Weiss hadn’t taken her words to heart and not bothered coming back. That everything could be normal again... But as her senses slowly returned she knew the answer before she looked. 

Her eyes darted toward the right anyway. And just as she remembered it, there it was - or to be more precise - there it wasn’t.    


Her hand clutched the soft blankets as she fell back on the bed, wincing at the motion. Her hand came up and over her eyes, shielding them from the harsh light of the nearby window. She cursed at herself for moving her right arm, if it could even be called that anymore. The natural reaction was still there. 

The door of the room opened to reveal her dad with a tray of food. The ride to Patch had been filled with silence, she hadn’t eaten much in Vale during her recovery either. The treatments had been intrusive and painful, just another reminder of what she had been through. She tried to forget them. 

Her stomach grumbled as if to further remind her of the lack of food. 

Her dad seemed pleased, his face creasing into a small smile. “Hungry?” he asked, laying the plate on her lap. “I made your favorite.” Still steaming sausages with bacon and eggs along with some toast, all forced onto a single plate yet presented like it was a work of art. It was the kind of food Summer would have made when Yang was growing up. It brought back memories.

Normally it would have been enough to have her mouth watering, but now all she felt was a slight pang deep in her chest. She didn’t want to eat, as hungry as she was, her heart wasn’t in it. 

But she had to try, she knew that. As much as the thought made her sick, her body needed it, needed the nutrients. With a shaky hand she picked up the fork and took it to one of the sausages. The utensil hovered above it, uncertain, before turning on its side and trying to cut through the meat with the edge. Taiyang sat nearby, an agonised expression on his face, but he knew better than to try and help. She wouldn’t have let him. He had tried once or twice already. She rejected it each and every time. It made her feel useless. 

The fork slipped, propelling the sausage to the side and knocking hot egg onto her sheets. Yang gasped as the food burned her skin beneath the blankets. Taiyang quickly rose and scooped it off her, wincing himself at the heat.

Yang gripped her sheets in pain and frustration, teeth grit together so hard it felt they might break.

“Sorry, sorry!” Her dad looked panicked as his hands fidgeted around looking for something to do. For something to make her feel better. “Here.” He took the fork from her hand, holding a piece of the sausage to her face.

Yang glanced away from the food. “I’m not hungry anymore.” she lied. 

“Yang.” her dad cooed, but she kept her gaze elsewhere. “You need to get your strength back.”

She didn’t respond, nor did she make eye contact. 

“Yang, please.” He pressed the sausage toward her lips but she turned further away till hot meat pushed against her cheek.  “Okay…” After a moment of him just staring at her with some sympathetic, pitying look, he stepped back and placed the plate on the table beside her. “If you need anything, just shout. I’m here for you sweetheart.”

She still didn’t respond and only once she heard the door shut closed did she focus her gaze to where her father once stood. The smell of still steaming food drew her eyes to the plate once more.

She licked her lips as her stomach growled. She _ was _ hungry but she also wasn’t... it didn’t really make sense, even to her. The pain in her stomach kept pining, but the knot in her throat prevented her from trying to eat. In the end, her stomach won and she reached out for the plate only to pause when her fingers wrapped around the edge. She retracted her hand and clutched her chest. Taking several deep breaths before laying back down on her bed.

She felt weak, the weakest she had ever felt in her life. Gripping most things with her left hand felt weird and even more so with her sore muscles. 

She wasn’t hungry anymore...

* * *

Yang could hear the bath water filling up the tub as she struggled to get undressed. The shirt would have been easy to remove if it wasn’t for her long mane. She’d never had trouble with it in the past. Her pants were a bit easier, at least they would have been if she had tried removing them while she was seated. She hopped on one leg for a moment to get the leg hole off before leaning to the right only to trip. She instinctively held both hands out to cushion her fall but instead shouted out in pain when she fell on her stump. She clutched it, which only lead to more pain which in turn led to her gripping it even tighter.

“Yang!” Her dad knocked frantically on the locked door. She didn’t answer, and a second later heard the frame shake. He was going to bust the door down to get to her. “Yang! Are you alright?”

“Go away!” she shouted through the pain. “I can handle it!” 

“Yang, please! I can he-”

“Leave me alone!!” Yang snapped. She curled into herself when the banging finally stopped. She didn’t bother to listen to whatever words her father whispered. She just wanted to be left alone. There was no telling how long she laid on the cold, wooden floor. Enough to make her side ache. She lifted her naked form up and staggered towards the sink.

Leaning forward, Yang looked at the mirror above her, trying her best to keep herself steady. Her hair was a mess. At a distance it might have looked okay, but that was because you couldn’t see the knots starting to slowly form. Her blonde hair was good at hiding damage, anything that seemed like a knot could just be mistaken for a curl or just sink into her wild mane. Up close though, when she was looking for a problem, the damage was apparent. 

It would need a good brushing at the very least. Grabbing the brush from the edge of the sink, she lifted it to the side of her head. The problem was obvious a second later.

She usually held a lock of hair in one hand and brushed with the other. It wasn’t like a girl brushing with one hand was unheard of, but with her long mane and tangled hair, it would be a pain in the ass. 

Yang sighed before lifting her brush anyway. Might as well-  “Ow!“ Yang winced, tugging the brush. The bristles had gotten stuck in her hair, and when she let go it dangled there, suspended.

Pulling at the handle, Yang let out a low growl. When it wasn’t quite coming undone, she braced herself before giving a quick yank she winced at the feeling of strands being pulled out.

She took a deep breath before trying again, this time on the ends of her hair. It wasn’t nearly as difficult, but the effects were little. Every time she tried to brush just a little higher, the brush would get stuck and she would have to yank it free along with some gold. Before long, the sink was dotted with yellow strands of fine hair. She looked down at it, panting in frustration.

“Screw it.” The brush clattered into the sink as she tossed it aside. She didn’t need to fix her hair. Even so, it still bothered her and the lingering pain kept reminding her of it. She took another deep breath, which didn’t really do much for her anger, before sliding into the tub.

The water was hot, the steam working to relax her aching muscles. Her chest rose as she took what must have been her fifth deep sigh that day. Everything was difficult. Every little task, every little action - but soaking in the tub helped to ease her mind. To help her forget. 

Or at least it did, until she tried to lean back into the water, only to rocket up with a hiss, her severed stump feeling as if it were on fire. She clutched the wounded limb with her free and only hand, fighting back tears as scalding hot water trickled down tender flesh.

Biting down on the scream that threatened to escape, Yang’s lip bled. 

The pain was brief but agonizing. A minute after it came it was already gone but the lingering effects - not to mention the memory of it - prevented her from daring to dip back into the water. Okay, looked like having a bath was out of the question too. Just another thing she’d need help with. 

Yang lowered her head at the thought of it. Like a small child unable to even wash herself. Was she that useless? 

A fist slammed against the wall, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.  _ No. Not again. Not this time. I don’t need help.  _ She didn’t need anyone.

And she didn’t need this bath either. It wasn’t like she had to bother with keeping up appearances anyway. She was no longer beautiful, she was a cripple. Her hand pressed into her golden mane, feeling the strands between her fingers _.  _ She didn’t need this either.

_ I can cut it later... _

It would just be a bother from now on. She couldn’t take care of it and her dad would just offer Yang to do it for her. 

Her hand tightened around the sink at the thought of her dad's insistence. Telling her she wasn’t eating enough, or that she wasn’t taking care of herself. It was her body and she could do whatever she wanted with it. It would be better this way, cut it short and be done with it. Maybe up to her shoulders if not higher. The less hair the better. 

It… it would be easier...

* * *

 Yang spent most of the remainder of the morning and part of the afternoon in bed, laying down and occasionally looking at her scroll. For a few hours she tried looking at videos, but what had once been enough to have her rolling over in laughter now brought nothing more than short sighs. The news was no less grim, with no pun intended as the monsters continued to attack villages surrounding Vale. After a while she gave up, putting the scroll down on the side and simply laying in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She had managed to eat a small portion of the food her dad had left, though it was mostly the toast.

Some time later, maybe it was the afternoon - it was difficult for her to keep track of the time but she was fairly sure it was the middle of the day - Yang groaned when she heard her father calling for her to come down stairs. Couldn’t he just come up to her? Not that she wanted to talk to anyone but at least save her the effort. 

After the first minute or so Yang thought he’d let it go, but when he kept shouting her name she let out a frustrated groan and sat up. Her feet carried her over to and out the door, before she slowly descended the stairs, arm against the wooden wall in an effort to keep balance. 

Even that familiar and simple action felt exhausting. She used to be capable of running up and down these stairs chasing after Ruby whenever it was her reluctant sister’s bath time. Maybe it was the injury, or maybe it was the long recovery, but right now she didn’t feel like she could even climb back up unassisted.

Yang heard vague mumbling, no doubt her dad talking to Zwei or maybe even Qrow. With a sigh she pushed the door open-

Only to freeze in shock.

“Surprise!”

Yang’s eyes widened, mouth falling open as she looked at the colorful people filling the room. People she knew, squashed awkwardly into the a living room too small for them. Yang immediately recognised them, how could she not? She’d grown up with most of them. Friends from Signal who she had classes with, some who weren’t fighters at all but who she’d grown up with in Patch. One or two even went to Beacon with her but ended up having to go back to Patch after failing the initiation. There was even that friend of Ruby’s, the faunus. 

“Surprise! Eh, again.” She felt her dad's hands fall on her shoulders as he let out an awkward laugh. “Looks like all your friends are here! Well you already know that because you're staring at them.”

“W-wha…?”

“I thought you might want to see them!” He smiled at her, eyes shining, “That it might cheer you up. Let you catch up with the old gang!” 

Yang looked away from her father and back to her grinning and waving friends. They were all really there. She felt her lips twitch, a tentative smile working its way across her face. It had been so long since she’d seen most of them, and in some small way it was a breath of relief to see that not all her friends had abandoned her. She didn’t know what to say, and so instead of saying anything she waved shyly, feeling more like Ruby than her usual self. 

“Are you feeling better?” One of them asked, stepping forward.

“Does anything hurt?” Another hovered nearby - before more and more questions were fired her way.

“How are things with Ruby?”

“Is she even awake?”

“Your father wouldn’t tell us squat.”

Yang staggered back, overwhelmed by the questions, only to be pushed down into a sofa by concerned hands, friends sitting down on either side of her. A glass of water was pushed into her hand with a small tray of mostly eaten snacks nudged onto her lap. Yang tried to reach for some and winced a moment later. She saw the same reaction on their faces for a brief moment before they hid it behind smiles. She couldn’t pick up any food, not with her hand already holding the glass. 

“Sorry,” Yang said. “I must look like a mess.”

“You look fine.”

“No, you look fantastic!”    


“As beautiful as ever.” Another laughed. The responses were immediate, a little too immediate. With cautious eyes she noticed how the girl on her right steadfastly refused to look at the severed stump of her arm, even though it was hidden behind thick bandages. She definitely looked different… it seemed they’d all noticed. 

Yang tried to ignore it, answering what questions she could before more were added on. They wanted to know about Beacon, her friends, how Ruby had adjusted, what funny things they had gotten up to. They caught her up on all the gossip around school and Patch. Who was dating who. The local scandals, things that had changed. Normally she’d have been really into it but she felt herself slowly drifting into her own mind. Their questions about Beacon, no matter how innocent, only served to remind her of how it had all ended. 

She excused herself a second later, stumbling over to a different conversation. She’d never been one to flee like that before, but right now she couldn’t handle the memories.They hadn’t been there… they wouldn’t understand. They couldn’t. 

Yang caught up with a pair of girls chatting by the window. They’d always had something to say about someone back in Signal, and it wasn’t unusual for Yang to spend entire dinner hours talking with them. They nodded in greeting as she approached, creating a space for her to step in and into the conversation.

“Hey Yang, we were just talking about the Achieve Men. Their new album is coming out.”

“Oh,” Yang grinned, “I haven’t had a chance to hear it.”

“It’s the biggest one yet! Michel’s singing was amazing! He’s always amazing but this one in particular.” Both girls sighed, much to Yang’s amusement. “He’s so dreamy.”

“Oh...yea…” Yang said, trying to remember which one that was. She had really been into the Achieve Men at first but with Beacon and training to become a Huntress, it had all sort of just gotten away from her. 

“I think Gaven Freed shined the most though.”

The first girl gasped. “Clearly we aren’t talking about the same boy band.”

“Apparently not.” The second girl agreed.

“Yang!” Both girls chirped turning to her.

“Y-yea?” 

“Who do you think is best?”

“W-well I haven’t seen the latest album so…” 

“Does it matter? You don’t need to see their music to tell who’s the best looking.” 

“E-even so…”

“Here!” One of the girls pulled out her scroll, flipping through some images before pushing the screen to Yang’s face. “Michel Johns is clearly the best looking, right?”

“Only if Gaven wasn’t involved.”

Yang looked at the band before her. The figures were familiar, though they seem to lack the same `wow` factor they once had. The band members were thin and wiry, not at all like the men she was used to hanging around with back at Beacon. Even compared to Jaune these guys looked weak… somehow less impressive.

“Michel I guess…” Yang finally responded. In truth, they looked the same and she couldn’t bring herself to care. That had been happening a lot lately. 

“I told you!” Yang heard one of the girls say. 

“Yang’s only saying that because she hasn’t seen the album!” the other girl said. “If she did, she’d definitely agree with me!” 

“Would not!” 

“Would too!”

Yang drifted away while they were arguing, a weak sigh escaping from her lips. Talking about guys… it used to be one of her favourite hobbies, especially the famous and good-looking ones. Now it all sounded so silly. What was the point of knowing what celebrity was dating who, how much did that matter in the scheme of things really? Yang felt older than them now, like she could no longer find the things they talked about interesting. 

She felt an immediate longing for people who had gone through the same thing. To talk to her friends. A flash of pain shot through her mind as she remembered just how those same friends had left her. 

She hoped Ruby would wake up soon. 

Yang found herself wandering into the kitchen, leaving the two girls behind with a weak excuse. If they noticed then they didn’t say anything, which was probably for the best. She just couldn’t be bothered at the moment. She needed a minute to herself. The buffet table provided just that and for a moment she hoped the food in her mouth would stop people from trying to talk to her. She was wrong.

“So…” The guy, someone from Patch, looked at her awkwardly, “How does it feel?” She nearly choked on her food. “With the whole arm thing?”

Yang chugged down a glass of water to clear her throat, though maybe that wasn’t such a good idea now that she had no excuse to stay quiet. 

“I mean…” He waved his hands around trying to come up with a way to say it. “What are you going to do now? Career wise and eh... everything wise.” 

“What do you mean?” Yang asked, uncertain despite herself. The question sounded so innocently asked and yet her mind refused to process it. The boy shrugged awkwardly, waving one hand before speaking.

“Well, you can’t be a hunter anymore, can you?”

Yang felt sick. Her insides went cold as the brutal reality of those words washed over her. She couldn’t be, could she? Ha ha.. of course she couldn’t. What school wanted a huntress with one arm? How many Grimm could a useless cripple slay? 

“I…” She swallowed the knot stuck in her throat and looked around. To her horror she realised everyone was looking at her, watching, listening. They all wanted to know, didn’t they? It was just that none of them had felt brave enough to ask, until now. Yang found herself unable to answer. Not just because she didn’t want to, but because she didn’t know the answer. What was she going to do?

She had always wanted to be a Huntress. It was all that had ever mattered because it was what she was good at. It was what she would be able to do with Ruby.

Oh God, Ruby…

Ruby, when she woke up, and she  _ would  _ wake up, would still be a Huntress, wouldn’t she? She would go out on missions, find a new team and risk her life against the Grimm. And then one day she would go out and never come back. 

Just like Summer. 

Except that unlike Summer, Ruby should have been able to rely on her sister to stand beside her. 

It took her a moment to realise that all eyes were on her. They were staring, her father with abject concern. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to rush over and hold her, to try and make all her problems go away. He looked at her like she was weak, flimsy and broken - like she needed him. And she  _ was  _ broken… wasn’t she? 

It had just taken her a little while to realise.

“I…” She… “I can’t.” Yang stepped back, head lowered, bangs obstructing her vision. One step become two and two became three, until before she knew it, she was already in full flight to her room.

She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t face them. 

She couldn't handle the pity in their eyes. 

Yang didn’t listen to her father’s words through her door. She was too busy sobbing into her sheets, drawing the blanket up to her chin as she curled into a small ball. She just wanted to be left alone and to sleep. To just sleep and forget, to forget about everything.

So that was what she did. She shut her eyes tight and laid there until sleep finally came. If she was dreaming, then maybe she wouldn’t be able to think about how her future as a Huntress was over. How her sister would end up apart from her because of her profession. How she wouldn’t be there for Ruby when she really needed it. 

Sleep finally took her when she had stopped crying, or maybe it was that she ran out of tears. She slept and slept for hours. In the brief moments between consciousness she might have heard her dad knock on the door for dinner, but she ignored it. She didn’t want to be with anyone. 

It must have been a day that passed by, maybe two, since when her dad finally came in, it was with breakfast. Cut pieces of toast and cheese along with a plate of sliced apples. He had clearly felt that he needed to cut all her food for her. He was probably right. He was just being considerate, she tried to tell herself, but the truth of it still hurt.

Yang ate just enough to keep the stinging pain in her stomach at bay. A half sliced piece of toast with cheese along with a single piece of apple. It tasted dull, her mouth feeling damp from sleeping the entire day. But it was enough to stop her body demanding more, and that was all that mattered. She didn’t eat any more, no matter what gentle words her dad whispered.

It felt like there was no point. If she couldn’t be a Huntress, if she couldn’t be the person she’d spent the last ten years of her life trying to become, then what was she to do? Trapped in a spiral of her own memories, the flashes and screams of Beacon - the sight of a red blade, stained with her crimson blood. It had her waking at night, covered in sweat and panting in terror. She could not escape him, even in the sanctity of her home.

Yang wondered if it would ever change, or if it would haunt her forever.

But on the fifth day something did change.

On the fifth day, Ruby woke up.

* * *

 

**Le gasp. Such drama and feels. At least, I hope you think it that way. If only Rooster Teeth showed us this. Still, I do love them all. But anyway, I look forward to your feedback... that means comment.**

  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adjustment Period

**Beta:** Coeur Al'Aran

 

* * *

 

“Yang…?”

She didn’t respond at the call of her name, even with the fragile tone behind it. Of course it belonged to her sister. Who else could it be? They had been together for fifteen years. She would recognise that voice anywhere.

Even through the haze of misery, Ruby was a welcome breath of fresh air. It wasn’t enough to make Yang’s life feel perfect, but for a moment it felt just a little brighter. Right now, it was the only thing she didn’t despise. Her hand clutched the sheets when she heard Ruby’s footsteps bring her into the room.

“Ruby…” The footsteps stopped. She could feel the gaze on her. Ruby was looking at her. What did Ruby see? Did she see her older sister or a cripple? Did she see someone who failed their team mates? Someone who pushed Weiss away?

Yang looked down at herself. She hadn’t bathed in days. She had the same wrinkled clothes as the day before. Her hair was a mess. Would Ruby even recognize her? Would she even want to speak to her?

“Yang!” Ruby ran over to her and brought her into a soft embrace, Yang had never felt warmer. Not from the hottest days or toughest battles with her semblance activated. She allowed herself to show weakness in front of Ruby. The tears that were forming up fell as she curled into her sister more. Her hand leaving the sheets and lightly encircling Ruby’s waist.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” Yang could hear the cracks in Ruby’s voice. She was worried. Of course she was worried. She was Ruby.

“I’m not okay.”

But maybe with Ruby here she could be...

“So, sis… how ya doin?” Yang gave her best attempt at a smile. Though by the look on Ruby’s face, she didn’t buy it fully. “Are your eyes feeling okay? Can you see properly?”

“Oh, yea…” Ruby’s hand moved up to her face. “I still don’t get it all but I’m okay now. How… how are you?”

“I may need a… hand…” One of her typical puns but the reminder sort of ruined it. Neither of them laughed. “Sorry… just… trying to lighten the mood.”

“I know…” Ruby held Yang’s hand before pressing their foreheads together. “Your puns were never the best choice for that.”

“Ouch.” Yang gave a fake wince but her energy still wasn’t in it.

“...”

“...”

Ruby sighed. “This...isn’t working, is it? The whole pretending nothing happened thing....”

“No... but I appreciate the attempt…” Ruby was trying to make things normal between them, how they might have been on any other morning in Patch. Yang could appreciate that effort… even if there was nothing normal about this. It was just Ruby showing how much she cared.

“Are you...okay?” Ruby repeated the question before nodding to Yang’s right arm… or what was left of it.

If any other person had asked, like how her friends had, Yang might have gone silent or maybe even reacted with aggression. But Ruby wasn’t any other person. She didn’t ask because she was curious, like Yang was some kind of charity case. Ruby’s eyes were filled with nothing but love and concern. Ruby was Ruby. She had been there, she had been through the same things as her. Well, almost everything.

“I’ve been better...at least I get breakfast in bed.”

“Yang…” Ruby still seemed worried.

“Lost weight.” Yang quipped.

“Yang…”

“T’is but a flesh wound.”

Ruby seemed to finally realise that she wasn’t going to get anywhere. People always said that Ruby was socially inept, but between the two of them things were much easier. Ruby knew when Yang didn’t want to talk about something. She knew when to drop the issue.

“What happened after we split up at Beacon? Uncle Qrow told me a little bit but not much.”

Yang felt a rush of pain and anxiety. She clutched her chest, taking a deep breath to try and stay calm. That probably gave Ruby reason to worry even more. She hadn’t even felt confident to talk to her father or uncle about what happened, Ruby though... she deserved to know.

“After...after we split up, the Atlas robots started attacking us and ignoring the Grimm. We met up with team CFVY but I heard that there were people in the cafeteria in danger and went off there. You know me, always running into trouble.” And this time, it really screwed her over. “There was this crazy White Fang member. Claimed he was the leader…” Yang shrugged and motioned to her right arm. “It...didn’t go too well.” She felt Ruby’s hand tighten around her. “I was dragged off to safety by someone. Don’t remember who. Was out cold for a few days so anything more, your guess is as good as mine.”

Heavily summarised, maybe missing a detail or two but it was the gist of what happened. It was all Ruby really needed to know.

“...But…” Ruby hesitated for a moment with her hands out as if to touch Yang again. “What about Blake and Weiss?”

Yang felt a headache coming on at the mention of the two. Hand clutched into her sheets. Any good mood Yang might have had was washed away in an instant. Of course Ruby would bring them up. Why wouldn’t she?

“They… left…”

_Don’t ask._

“W-what do you mean?”

“I mean they left.”

_Stop asking._

“Left where?”

“Weiss to Atlas, Blake, who knows…”

“Why?”

“How should I know?!” Yang almost-screamed. Blake had run away, like she always said she would. She’d left when the going got tough. When Yang needed her most. Weiss… Weiss had taken Yang’s advice… and left. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Yang…”

Yang turned her head away from Ruby. “I’m tired…” she said, laying further into the bed.

“Okay…” Yang didn’t dare looked at Ruby’s face. She could feel the sad expression burrow into the back of her head. “I love you…”

Yang clenched her eyes shut. Seeing Ruby made her feel happy. Made her feel better. Ruby was the last person who was still with her. But she wasn’t ready to talk about Blake and Weiss yet. She wasn’t ready to break the news on how their team mates had abandoned them. She wasn’t ready for Ruby to hate her for driving Weiss away.

“I love you too...”  


* * *

  


“...” Yang regretted everything. This was almost as awkward as when her dad sat her down and tried to have the birds and the bees talk with her.

Her dad had called her down for breakfast and she would have refused to leave her room like the last few days but he played dirty and got Ruby to call after her. She couldn’t refuse her little sister. Especially after all that had happened.

That did not, however, make this ‘family breakfast’ any less awkward. For a minute or so there was pure silence. Nothing but the silverware colliding with the plates being heard.

“So…” And of course her dad had to speak up to try and bridge the gap of silence. “How are you both doing?”

“I’m good.” Ruby gave a nod with an overly joyful, or for Ruby, just a normal smile.

“Dandy.” Was all Yang said before munching on her conveniently sliced meat and fruit. The fuck were they supposed to say? Great daddy, please pass the salt? Speaking of salt-

“Here you go.” Her sister seemed to sense what she was about to reach for since she grabbed the salt and handed it to her.

“Thanks…” Yang took the shaker before sprinkling it around the meat.

“How is the situation at Beacon?” Ruby turned to her dad for an answer. Guess she wasn’t satisfied with the answers Yang had given her.

“It’s...contained for the moment.” Tai answered. “Your uncle told me that they were forming small camps around the Emerald Forest to control the situation.”

“That’s good…” Ruby didn’t seem very relieved but she hid it well.

“Vale will be getting more support in the coming months.” Their father tried to assure. “Things just need time to settle down.”

“Time heals all wounds?” Yang quipped. She regretted it when Ruby faced her with a worried expression. Ah yes, that was right. No amount of time would give her arm back.

“This isn’t the first time Remnant has had a crisis.” Their dad came to the rescue. “Humanity has gone through some difficult times in the past. This is just another one of those times but it will pass.”

Pass? So all of this was just another thing that would be written down in the history books to study in school? Would she be able to leave this behind as well?

“...” Yang glanced down to the remains of her arm. Like Hell it would. How could she forget about this? About any of it? Some kids born a decade or more from now may not have any problem with it, but for the people who went through it, people like her… Vale had lost a school but Yang had lost everything.

Yang glanced up to her worried looking sister before flashing her a small smile. Well...almost everything. Stretching a hand out, Yang placed a piece of toast on her plate before reaching for the butter.

“Let me.” Ruby seemed to think she had a problem with the distance since she quickly got the butter and her toast, buttering it before Yang could get a word in edgewise. “Here you go!” Ruby seemed so happy to do that little thing for her, so pleased to have helped that Yang couldn’t bring herself to be upset.

“Thanks…” She felt a little pang at the reminder of her limitations, but Ruby didn’t mean anything by it. She didn’t have a bad bone in her body. So she took the toast before taking a bite out of it. A little less tasty than she imagined. Maybe she wasn’t as hungry as she thought. She glanced up from her plate in time to notice the small smile form on her old man's face. She just grunted and looked away. Whatever.

“So, any plans for this week Ruby?”

“Uh, I don’t know.” Ruby tapped her chin and looked to her legs as if seriously considering it. “Oh, maybe I can help with the rebuilding?”

“No.” Her dad beat her to it. “I mean, you're still weak. You need to rest.”

“...Kay…” Ruby seemed down for a moment before raising her head. “Firewood?”

Taiyang shook his head in amusement. “Most girls would think of less laborious activities but I won't turn down the help.”

“I’m awesome that way.” Ruby gave a wide grin with her hands on her hips.

“I’ll help.” Yang said.

“You…” Ruby seemed to pause when Yang looked to her. Like she was afraid to say speak or move. “Sure.” She then nodded with a wide smile. “The more the merrier!” Was it Yang’s imagination or had Ruby’s silver eyes wandered down to her arm for just a second?

Yang decided not to comment on it. She just wanted some time outside the house. She tried to distract herself with more food, reaching out again, this time for some bacon and eggs.

Eating with one hand was difficult but it was something she was starting to get use to. That was good, right? It was all about pinning the food to the edge of the plate and applying a lot of pressure and cutting with the base of the fork. It took time, probably always would, but she cut through. She cut her food. Not her dad.

Before she could properly start, however, Ruby piped up before pulling the plate from underneath.

“I got it!” Ruby eagerly cut all the food on her plate into neat bite size pieces before sliding the plate back to her sister. Yang looked down at the neatly cut pieces before clutching her hand. She knew it was Ruby being Ruby but still…

“Thanks.” She gave a weak smile before picking up one of the pieces and putting it in her mouth. Ruby smiled happily, glad to see she had helped her sister enjoy her meal. Yang faked one in return as she chewed.

The food tasted like ash.

* * *

 

“Yang! Dad’s already outside!”

“Coming!” Yang shouted from her room before placing all the clothes she needed to wear on the bed. It was the middle of Autumn and bitterly cold outside so heavier clothing was needed. It would start snowing soon too.

She picked a brown puffy jacket with thick grey pants and a furry hat to top it off. Not the most fashionable of winter clothing but the warm fabric would do. Taking off her light clothes wasn’t as much of a problem as before. She had learned from her mistakes. Sit down and remove clothes. Putting them on, on the other hand, and with clothing this thick, was more of a challenge.

“Yang!”  Who Yang assumed was Ruby came through the door. Yang couldn’t tell on account of the brown jacket suffocating her face. “Yang!” The second call of her name sounded more worried. She felt hands helping the jacket pulled down on her before she could properly see. “Are you okay?”

Yang waved it off. “Just winning a battle with my clothing. It’s two to one so far.”

“Do you need any help?”

“I’m fine.” Yang zipped the jacket shut and reached for her boots before sitting down at the edge of her bed.

“Let me.” Ruby was already kneeling beside her, holding the boot out for Yang to stick her foot in.

“Ruby…” Yang held in a sigh. “I don’t need help with everything.” She wasn’t useless.

“I know!” Ruby gave a smile. “I just want to help my sister!”

Yang let out the sigh she held in before pushing her foot in through the boot. Here she was being dressed by her own little sister. The roles suddenly seemed reversed, and worse than that, from when Ruby was a mere baby.

Their father was waiting for them at the door to the house. Zwei nipping around his heels to both sister’s amusement.

“Ruby?”

“Just one sec...there!” Ruby had placed Yang’s glove on her. They both paused as they realised one glove remained, for what would have been her other hand. Ruby swallowed and put it down on the side, trying to pretend the awkward situation hadn’t happened. “All done!”

Their father leaned against the axe on the log. “You girls ready?”

“Yes sir!” Ruby chirped up before rushing to grab some logs.

Yang let out a sigh, smiling at her sister's enthusiasm. All they had to do was collect the logs stacked against the nearby wall and bring them over for him to cut. Zwei would then pick up the chopped pieces and carry them proudly to the basket.

Yang moved over to pick up a log from the floor. Before she could even feel the weight of the log, Ruby was already there holding her piece with a smile.

“I got this!” She zipped away placing the pieces beside their dad.

Yang just shrugged before reaching for another piece only for Ruby to be there again. “Ruby…”

“Yea, sis?” She seemed so energetic and ready to please.

“This isn’t a competition you know. No one is keeping score.”

“Zwei is.” Ruby pointed to the barking dog.

“And who’s winning?” Yang asked.

“I am!” Again, so cheerful.

“Maybe I could give you a run for your money if you didn’t cheat.”

“I...wasn’t cheating.” She heard the hesitation in Ruby’s voice.

“Then i'm going to take this piece.” Yang reached for a log.

“Um…” Ruby raised her hand as if to ask a question. “Maybe that log?” It took Yang a second to understand why the specific log. It was noticeably smaller than the one she was reaching for.

“...” Yang didn’t say anything as she reached for an even _bigger_ piece than the one she was going for, just to show that she could. Ruby looked worried as she staggered for a moment, placing the large log over her shoulder before dropping it beside her dad. “See? No need to worry. That should count as two.”

She expected to see her sister laugh and smile. To complain about how it still counted as one piece. But she didn’t. She looked… afraid. Her sister looked afraid and she was looking at her.

“We can count it as one if you really want…” Yang tried to joke. It felt flat even to her. It had been happening with a lot of her jokes lately.

Zwei’s bark seemed to snap them both out of the silence seeming to sense something was wrong. That or the fact that he had no more pieces to bring to the basket.

“R-right.” Ruby let out an awkward laugh as she picked up another piece and headed toward her dad.

“Ruby…”

“Gotta hurry!” Ruby attempted to cheer before passing her sister.

An hour or so passed with little bits of conversation in between the two with the occasional comment from Taiyang.

Yang gave short heavy pants, her chest rising and falling as she brushed sweat from her brow. Maybe taking the biggest pieces she could find wasn’t the best idea. No, that couldn’t be it. Sure she was using only one arm but she was using her shoulder for support. She should still have plenty of energy. So why did it feel like she had been working for a lot longer than an hour?

“Yang?” Her sister stopped her with an arm, a worried expression on her face. “Don’t you think it’s time you had a break?” Ruby didn’t seem all that tired. Maybe slightly faster breaths but nowhere near as much as her.

“Are you taking a break?”

“N-no.” Ruby hesitated.

“Then I’m good too.” She shrugged off the arm before taking another log, it must have been heavier than it looked since she stumbled for a second before the log fell out of her grip.

“Yang?” Her sister was beside her again kneeling a little with her. “On second thoughts I think I _am_ ready for a break.”

“Well I’m not!” Yang brushed off her sister's arm again before reaching for the same log. “I can keep working.”

“Well, I can’t keep up with the two of you.” Her dad’s foot came into view. “Let’s all take a break. For my sake.”

“You’re such an old man!” Ruby giggled but gave a salute, dropping the log.

“...Whatever.” Yang stood back up before heading inside for some privacy. _Can’t keep up, huh?_ Yea right. She knew her father. He was a hunter. Though she didn’t know his exact limits, she knew he could go on for a few more hours easy. He always had when they chopped fire wood.

She slammed her fist into the wooden wall before heading upstairs to change. She knew the real reason. They weren’t stopping because of their dad. They were stopping because of her. She was holding them back.

She was a burden...

* * *

Ruby had been tailing Yang since then. She thought she was being sneaky like always but Ruby was about as subtle as an Ursa. Even as a kid, she would try to act like a ninja in one of those video games she would play as on her scroll.

Yang finally had enough, both from the tailing and the reminder she had upset her sister. Yang headed upstairs and was relieved when Ruby didn’t immediately follow her. A minute later though she heard a knock on her door.

“Yang…” Ruby didn’t open the door till she heard Yang’s permission. “I uh, wanted to see how you were doing…” She said everything with a worried tone.

“I’m...fine Ruby. Wanna come in?” And not stand just outside her room.

“Kay…” Ruby took one small step in before followed by another. “Hi…”

“Hey.” Yang smiled at her sister's attempt to start a conversation.

“I-I’m sorry if…” Ruby was fidgeting with her fingers with her voice lower than usual. “I mean whatever I did to upset you... I didn’t mean to.”

“I know Ruby…” She held her hand out and after a moment, Ruby took it before giving her a hug. “You couldn’t be bad if you tried.”

“B-but I didn’t try.” That’s what Ruby seemed to find the problem in. “I mean I was trying to be the opposite of bad. I was trying to be good but it wasn’t working and I was doing something wrong-”

She was babbling. That meant Ruby had no idea what to do. She likely didn’t even know what she had done wrong. It brought a small frown on Yang’s face but she quickly replaced it with a smile. “Ruby…” She gave a light squeeze of her sister's hand making Ruby stop. “I know…” Even if Ruby didn’t, Yang knew. “Just...give me a bit of space, okay?” She looked up to her sister from her seat. “I just need some time is all.”

“Okay…”

There was a moment of silence between the two sisters. “Well...I’m going to go take a bath.” She had gotten eating and clothes down for the most part, she needed to focus on bathing sooner or later.

“Do you need help with your hair?”

“Ruby…”

Ruby held her hand out before Yang could start to argue. “I-I didn’t mean that you couldn’t. I meant like to help with the places you couldn’t reach or um...to make things go faster.”

Ruby must have felt her excuses were weak since she retreated back into herself. Fidgeting with her skirt and rubbing her feet together.

Yang didn’t want to stay mad at Ruby. She got mad when she...well got mad at Ruby. Mad at herself. Mad that she was upset with her little sister. She wanted to fix what was damaged between them.

“Okay.” Ruby seemed to perk up at her reply. “I could...use the help.”

Yang slipped out of her clothes and slid into the tub. Ruby took the retractable shower head and let the cold water rush out till it was warm before wetting Yang’s hair. Yang felt the water wet every single strand of her hair, from her scalp to the edges of her strands. Yang shut her eyes, letting herself truly relax for the first time in what seemed like forever.

She heard the water drizzle out of the shower head and felt the droplets land on her hair and trickle down her sides. It felt nice.

For a moment she thought she hear Ruby cut the cheese but when something cool pressed at her head, she realised it had been some shampoo being squeezed out. She hadn’t used that in like a week. She really did need it to keep her hair from tangling up. Ruby squirted a fair amount onto her hair given the length of it. She let out another content sigh as she felt her hair loosening up as the water cleared any of the soapy material.

Yang had to admit, even as she had moved into the tub, she wasn’t so eager to have help. Even if it was from Ruby. But this...might not have been so bad.

That was until she felt Ruby’s hand rubbing soap on places other than her scalp. At first she thought Ruby’s hand slipped and just continued with rubbing soap down her neck. But then her hands rubbed around her shoulders before trying to move to her back.

“Ruby…” Yang called out more in a warning then to get her attention.

“Just cleaning... around.” The shoulders were one thing but after Ruby had finished with that, she was focusing on Yang’s back.

“Ruby…” Yang tried to straighten up only for Ruby to try and keep her still with one hand while cleaning with the other.

“Just let me-”

“NO!” Yang shoved Ruby, causing her to stumble back against the wall. A moment of silence following aside from the heavy breathing of both sisters. “For God’s sake Ruby, I don’t need your help with this. With anything!”

“I…” Ruby straightened herself from the shove and took a quick breath of air. “I know you don’t _need_ my help but I thought it be easier if-”

“I don’t want easy!” Yang snapped. “I want things to be done my way! With just me! Back to normal!”

“Yang…” Ruby whispered her sister's name before glancing away. “But...but they can’t.”

If Ruby had looked at Yang, she would have noticed her lilac eyes turning red. “Get. Out.”

“Yang-”

“I said, get out!” Yang snapped up from the tub before throwing a shampoo bottle at Ruby. “Leave me alone! I don’t need your help! I don’t _want_ your help!”

“Yang, I just want to help. I-”

“Like you did with my food? And the logs? And my freaking bath?!” Yang wasn’t giving Ruby a moment to try and make up some excuse. If Ruby was too young or innocent to understand, then Yang would make her understand. “That’s not help. That’s babying! Your version of helping isn’t helping at all!” Yang was trying to come up with coherent words to explain to Ruby. “Helping is Jaune holding a hand out so that you could stand up. It’s not him picking you up, walking you to initiation and doing all the fighting for you!” The water on Yang’s body was turning into steam. She gritted her teeth at the pang of pain in her arm but ignored it. She needed to say this. Ruby needed to hear this. “You...You…” Yang lowered her head, her bangs hiding most of her vision. “You make me feel useless. Like I’m less than human. Like I’m some sort of…” Yang held her hand out to look at. “Like I’m damaged goods…” That’s what the worst part was, wasn’t it? She _was_ damaged...even more damaged than she was before all of this.

When Yang finally looked back up, she could see her sister shaking. Biting down on her lower lip to try and stop the quivering. She could see tears forming and threatening to break through as she took a step back from Yang. “I…” Her voice sounded cracked. “I didn’t mean…”

“It doesn’t matter what you meant! It matters what you’ve done!” Yang knew she should stop but the bottled rage that had been held in for so long wouldn’t allow her. “Intentions don’t mean everything.”

“Yang, I…” She tried to take a step toward Yang but she turned to her side, head lowered again.

“Just… just leave me alone…” The anger she had built up was starting to dwindle, leaving behind exhaustion. The fire had burned out and now there was only ash.

“Yang-” She heard Ruby try once more to step toward her.

“ _Please_!” Yang clutched her hand into a fist, teeth gritting before her voice softened again.  “Just leave…” She was almost pleading now.

“...” After a moment of silence she heard footsteps followed by a door shutting closed.

Yang stood alone in the empty room. For how long she wasn't sure. She just stood there feeling the cold air press against her naked skin. She shut the shower door and turned the water on allowing the cold droplets to fall around her body. She didn’t feel like taking a hot shower right now. And even if taking a shower was hard, even if it took twice as long if not more, the important thing was she did it on her own. Without any help. Without… Ruby. Without Taiyang. Without anyone.

She felt the soft fabrics of her bed press on her back side of her now dried body. Taking a shower, even if it was a cold one, should have made her feel a bit better from her week or so without one. But right now, saying she felt like shit was an understatement.

Before she even spoke...shouted at Ruby, she knew she shouldn’t have. Every word that came out, that came out of her mouth, she knew she should have stopped. Ruby didn’t mean to make Yang upset. Hell, Ruby didn’t mean to make anyone upset. She just didn’t know any better. She didn’t know what she was saying and doing was hurting Yang. That it was lowering her self-esteem. Even so, even with Ruby being herself, she should have known better, she needed to learn. Like how Yang had the hard way.

Yang didn’t want to think about it anymore. She didn’t want to think of anything right now. She laid on her side, closing her eyes against the tears that threatened to break free. Maybe things would look better in the morning.

They wouldn’t though, would they? But it was the only thing that kept going. The only thing that gave her what little energy she had.

* * *

 

Yang groaned half awake as she felt the bed shifting behind her. The blankets were pulled back, something soft and warm slipping in and pressing against her back. Before she could speak, she felt a small hand wrap around her waist and intertwined with her fingers. A face damp with moisture pressed at the back of her shirt.

She heard faint whispered words spoken behind her.

“I’m sorry”

Yang squeezed the hand in hers.

“I know…”

“I love you…”

Yang smiled.

“I love you too.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Square One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I prefer comments over all. So gimme.

  
  


**Beta:** _Coeur Al'Aran_

* * *

 

The clash of steel on steel rang through the house, punctuated occasionally by the sound of a blade cutting into flesh. The sounds overlapped with one another until finally… a loud explosion brought the fight to a close.

“Ruby!” Taiyang scolded his youngest daughter. The girl smiled sheepishly and covered her mouth with one hand.

“Sorry!” she said.

Yang shook her head at her sister's loud burp. The dinner table had always been a battlefield of sorts and it only got worse when their uncle Qrow was around. Mostly, that was because of the smell but his manners were even worse than Ruby’s. At least her sister had the excuse of being fifteen as opposed to forty or so.

“Could you pass the toast?” Yang asked. Her little sister seemed all too pleased to help, grabbing not only the toast but also a slab of butter too. Yang watched as Ruby spread it out over the toast without interjecting, before noticing her start to cut it into smaller pieces.

“Ruby…”

Ruby froze just short of cutting into the toast. She placed the unscathed food on Yang’s plate with a sheepish smile. “Sorry…” Yang returned a soft smile of her own. Things weren’t perfect but they were improving. Ruby still didn’t know when enough was enough but she now listened to Yang for that, never pushing too far. Neither of them wanted a repeat of the unhappy events a few days earlier.

“So… you two alright now?” Taiyang asked with a motion of his fork. “I didn’t want to ask but the village nearby complained about the shouting.”

Yang shot him a dirty look. The nearest village was miles away. Her expression softened when Ruby flushed and started to make excuses.

“We’re sisters.” Yang said as if that was all the answer that was needed.

“Sisters and besties!” Ruby added. “I goofed up on some things but it’s better now.”

Taiyang chuckled. “That sounds about right. I remember back in Signal when you were the one putting your foot in your mouth and it was Yang who always dragged it out.”

“Daaaaad!” Ruby whined with her flush back on her face.

Yang smiled as she watched the small argument between the two. In a way it was a relief to know that Ruby still needed her; that she could still be of use even in her current condition. Yang shook off the small frown that came onto her face at the thought.  _ Stop it. _

Things had changed, Yang couldn’t deny that, and it wasn’t for the best. She couldn’t do everything she once could but at least Ruby was letting her try. Sometimes Yang had to ask for Ruby’s help. Sometimes she couldn’t do everything on her own. It was a little easier to accept now that Ruby had given her some space. Only helping when she asked for it and only if Yang was certain she couldn’t do it on her own.

Some things were beyond her. Tying her shoes was one thing. The thought of using her teeth seemed promising at first but ultimately proved fruitless. Their dad had promised to take them shopping after the winter for some boots that had straps on, along with some clothing she could use with one hand. Winter clothes would be a bit trickier, though, no matter what they bought.

It was all about adapting. About learning to live with her… with her condition.

And she was learning to live with it. To continue on with life. Her mood had been better since their argument. It had been a chance to let out steam, to get her grievances out into the open. As always, it was better to let it all out then bottle it up.

Both her and Taiyang’s eyes met, sharing a smile over Ruby’s continued fluster. It felt like forever since they last looked at one another like that. Her and Tai… they were ok. There were still some bumps but they were holding steady.

And it was all thanks to her little sister. Ruby was always a bit socially awkward. Always having difficulty starting a conversation with anyone new. She even admitted it a few times. When the conversation got rolling however, that’s when Ruby could start to shine. She had this good natured, sweet way about it. That made you want to want to be her friend. For the rare people like… Weiss, it was a bit different. From what Ruby had told her, that good natured and sweet way did not go over very well, but once she saw how hard Ruby was trying to impress her, well, the rest was history.

Just like a lot of things in her past. Yang smiled through the bad memories as they teased Ruby a little more. Things were looking up. So long as she had them, so long as she had Ruby, she could make it through.

* * *

 Yang never knew how enjoyable it could be to watch her little sister train. She watched through the window as Ruby did some basic stretches, necessary after being cooped up by Taiyang for so long. A smile plastered on her face as Zwei barked and ran around Ruby. Seeing Ruby start her training again did remind Yang about her inability, but honestly, it was hard not to think about it anyway. Especially with the constant reminder on her right side. Still, it brought just as much joy if not more so to see Ruby happy. Even after everything she had seen, Ruby was still Ruby. In a lot of ways that was comforting to Yang.

It also worried her.

After seeing all the destruction in Beacon, the deaths, the losses. Ruby was still so energetic. Yang didn’t know how she did it. A part of Yang was afraid to find out and another part wanted to learn and apply it to herself.

Yang gripped her right arm, grimacing as the pain returned.  _ Stop thinking about it. _

She forced a smile back on her face when she noticed Ruby was looking at her. She looked surprised for a moment and maybe a little worried from catching how distressed she looked before smiling and waving to her. Yang returned the gesture, smiling a bit more before walking outside to talk to Ruby.

“Hey.” Yang greeted her little sister before sitting on the wooden logs stacked up against the house.

“Hi.” Ruby waved her hand again before placing them both behind her back as she leaned back and forth against the front and heels of her feet. “Soooo, what’s up?”

“Nothing much. Just wanted to see my baby sister show off her moves.”

“Oh, um…” Ruby glanced to the side. “I was just stretching a bit. Wasn’t even sure I was going to bother training today.”

“Ruby…” Yang’s flat tone made her little sister to look at her. “You can’t not train in front of me forever.” At least she better not. “Just do what you would normally do with me here.”

Ruby was silent for a moment before nodding. “Right! Here we go!” She had never seen anyone so energetic in doing some basic stretches. She was a bit worried Ruby might pull something. “Stretching done! Now beginning combat!”

Yang chuckled. “Thanks for the heads up.”

Ruby held her scythe out before swinging it this way in that in quick succession. Ruby always had been one for speed even before her semblance activated. She would run around hopped up on cookies and strawberries. That was particularly troublesome when it was time for her bath. She had to wash Ruby for most of their childhood since Summer’s absence. Not that she didn’t exactly enjoy it. Time with her sister was fun. She didn’t think of it as a burden or responsibility. Well, it was sort of a responsibility but it wasn’t like she did it because she had to. She also did it because she enjoyed all the time she spent with Ruby. Her smiles and giggles. Those small witty comments she occasionally made which were so obvious and pure. She enjoyed spending time with her sister and still did.

“Yang!” She smiled when her little sister called out her name. “You uh… wanna join me?”

Yang’s smile faltered. “Nah. I’m okay. I… probably won’t be able to do much.”

“Sure you can!” Ruby quickly jumped forward with her hands squeezed in front of her. “Yang, you’re still the same person as before. The same amount of strength. Passion. Aggression. You just… need time to find and channel them again. Don’t…” She paused. “Don’t you want to find the people who did all of this?”

“Why bother?” Yang appreciated what Ruby was trying to do, but she was done with fighting for a long while. Maybe forever.

“Because it will help you get better.”

“I’m fine as I am.” Yang sighed before taking a deep breath. Ruby was already starting to withdraw back and she didn’t want to start another fight. “Look. I… I may get back into a bit of fighting one day.” She was pretty sure that was a lie to both Ruby and herself. “But not for a while. Not for a long while.”

“...Okay.” Ruby replied after a short silence. “I understand.”

“I’m glad.” Slow but steadyish progress. “I think I’ll go inside. Keep up the good work.” If training was what made Ruby happy, then she should do it.

“So you guys are close by?”

Yang stumbled upon Ruby chatting on her scroll by accident. She hadn’t planned to eavesdrop just outside her room. Her room. They use to have the same room but ever since Beacon, things had changed. She was usually glad to have Ruby nearby, especially nowadays, but she couldn’t bring herself to sleep in the same room as her. To wake up screaming and have Ruby check on her with those worried, silver eyes.

So she was sleeping in the guest quarters which was why she felt a little rotten when she didn’t announce herself to Ruby. She listened as her sister talked to whoever was on the other end of the scroll. It sounded like she was familiar with them. And since scrolls only worked regionally since the CCT had gone down, they had to be close by. Like, already on Patch, close by.

“Yea, that’ll be great. It’ll give us a chance to talk.”

Ruby looked both happy and focused while on the scroll. It should have made Yang happy and it did, but it also made her worry. She just didn’t know what was happening at the moment. That was all. She could be talking to some old friends that were coming to visit or had just gotten back from Patch. Not all of Ruby’s friends were on Patch at the moment do to one reason or the other.

“Yea, I’ll- Yang!” Ruby jumped up in place when Yang decided to reveal herself. “H-hey! How’s it going?”

“...” Ruby really sucked at small talk. “Good. Who you talking to?”

“Just some friends.” Ruby held the scroll back to her ear. “Yea, I gotta go. Yea. Alright. Bye!” She placed her hands before her back before smiling. “So... whats up?”

“Nothing. I was just passing by.” She wanted to ask who specifically Ruby was talking to but if it was really important or if Ruby had wanted Yang to know, then she would have told her. So she wouldn’t push the subject, not with how delicate things were. She trusted Ruby. If it was anything important or serious, she could handle it.

* * *

 With the coming of the snow, everything changed. Red leaves gave way to barren branches, soil to mother nature's white blanket. But it wasn’t just the seasons that changed.

“Helloooo!!” Nora waved from a nearby tree. The others did the same but with a little less gusto.

“Jaune? Ren? Nora?” Why were they all here?

“Surprise! Are you surprised? I thought you would be surprised. Isn’t it surprising?” Nora calmed down and halted her line of questions when Ren placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Our apologies if we came at an inconvenient time.” Ren, ever the mellow member of the team, gave a small bow.

“We thought it would be a good time to visit.” Jaune said. “See how you two were, catch up and maybe talk about plans for-”

“First things first!” Ruby jumped between her and the newly arrived group with her arms stretched up in the air. “Hot coco!”

“I want tiny marshmallows!” Nora shouted.

Well… it was winter.

“It’ll just take a minute! I’ll be right back!” Ruby was gone in a flash via semblance.

“...”

Well… this was awkward. That seemed to be happening a lot lately. Don’t get her wrong, she was happy to see them all. After all, they were her and Ruby’s friends. One of their first at Beacon. But their sudden appearance did leave Yang a little worried. Why were they here? Why show up now? Well, they were probably here to check up on Ruby… and her. As for why, they had probably visited their own family and friends before coming here. But didn’t Ren and Nora not have parents? She remembered Nora mentioning that during her ramblings before the match at the Vytal Festival.

Yang cringed and tried to push the memory away. It was best not to think of those times.

“So… how’s your arm?” Jaunce winced when Nora elbowed his side. “What?”

“It’s alright.” Normally Yang hated when people asked about her arm. She still did, but this was different. They had been through everything she had. She knew they weren’t asking out of curiosity. They genuinely cared, and that gave her the confidence she needed to smile and answer them. “It hurts sometimes and I’m still getting used to living being a lefty.” She wouldn’t admit this all to Ruby but it was still difficult. With Ruby it was much easier but not without its challenges.

“What has it done for your mobility?” Ren asked.

“I’m not as sore anymore.“ Yang answered. Guess they were just worried.

“Can still punch a tree dead?” Nora asked with a bit more energy.

“I… haven’t tried recently.” To punch a tree that was. She hadn’t bothered with any training. She had limited herself to mostly moving logs around for the fire.

“So how long will it take?” Jaune asked.

“How long will what take?” Yang didn’t understand.

“To get back into fighting condition.”

“I don’t know…” She had heard what the doctor had to say about it. “It could be months. A year, maybe two. I’d have to learn to fight with one arm.” If it was even worth pursuing.

“But we don’t have that long!” Jaune stepped with his hand out.

“Why not? Don’t have that long for what?” Yang didn’t like where this was going.

“To go to Mistral.”

“What?” Yang felt her voice carry some anger in it. Her hand clenched into a fist.

“You…” Jaune’s frustration was replaced with hesitation and a bit of fear. “You don’t know?”

“Know what?” Yang thought for a moment before her eyes widened. “No.”

“Yang-”

“I said no!” Her eyes turned red. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? To convince me to go with you? To convince Ruby to go!”

The group looked ashamed as none of them could quite meet her gaze.

“How could you even suggest such a thing?” Hadn’t she been through enough? Hadn’t Ruby?

“Yang, it wasn’t our-” Jaune tried.

“I don’t want to hear it!” Yang wouldn’t even entertain the idea of an argument. That implied that one side might win over the other. There would be no room for discussion. She felt the ends of her hair start to float at the sheer wave of heat she was putting off. The snow around her slowly skipping from water straight to steam. “You come here to my home, all friendly and nice, waiting for Ruby to bring you hot chocolate when in the back of your heads, you’re just waiting for an opportunity to trick Ruby into going with you!”

“Yang-”

Red eyes glared at the quiet member of the incomplete team. The glare had Ren holding off on whatever it was he was about to say. He took a half step behind Nora out of fear of being attacked. She might very well do just that. “Read. My. Lips. I am not going with you and neither is-” Yang choked on her words when she felt a throbbing pain in her arm. She keeled over onto the evaporating snow, clutching her stump.

_ Shit.  _ Not this again. Yang pressed her head against the now clear grass floor as she tried to at least keep herself on her knees.  _ Take deep breaths. Relax. Relax.  _ It was hard to. Knowing that what she had thought were her and Ruby’s friends were trying to use them. To satisfy their own sick and twisted desires. Hadn’t they suffered enough?

She gasped as the pain just seemed to get worse. Nails digging into her arms in an attempt to distract the pain with a different kind. It felt like the bones in her arm were being drilled and melting at the same time. The rest of her body hurt as well but the brunt of it was in her arm.

“Yang!” She barely registered Ruby’s presence as she knelt down beside her, hands trying to touch Yang through the heat. “What happened?”

“She got mad about Mistral and-”

“You told her?!” Ruby gasped. “ _ Jaune  _ !”

“We thought she knew!”

Yang’s screaming cut through the two as she fell on her left shoulder, barely able to keep herself from falling on her side. The snow around her all but evaporated with the grass scorched to the dirt. She felt tears forming at the edge of her eyes.

The way Ruby had reacted, she knew? She had planned to go with them all along? Gha! It hurt too much to think properly.

“Yang, let’s get you inside.” Yang felt her sister’s hands try and wrap around her, she heard her sister whimper at the heat before forcing herself through the pain and getting her to lean on Ruby as she took her inside. “L-Let’s try the sofa. It probably won’t burn. Maybe…”

“R-Ruby…” Yang gasped as she was lied down against the sofa.

“Just take it easy.” Ruby tried to ease. “Dad will be home soon. I’ll get you some ice-”

“Ruby!” Yang clutched Ruby’s arm, the pain through her body making her squeeze harder than she meant to, which made Ruby wince. “P-Promise me…”

“I promise, I’ll be right back.” Ruby placed her free hand over Yang’s, ignoring the urge to pull back from the heat.

“P-Promise me… y-you’ll stay.”

“Yang. I just said-”

“No… N-not that.” Yang pulled her sister closer. “P-promise me…” Yang gritted her teeth as she forced herself to speak as clear as she could. “Promise me… you’ll stay with me… at the house.” She took a deep breath. “Promise me… you won’t leave me. T-that you won’t go with… with them.” Promise her right here and now. That she wouldn’t go on some dangerous journey with Jaune and the others. That she wouldn’t leave her and Tai. That she would stay in this house with them. With her. She wanted Ruby to promise her all of that.

“Yang-”

Yang’s grip grew tighter as Ruby was brought right up against her painfully mixed expression. “Promise me… please…” She didn’t want to beg but if it would keep her baby sister here, then she would. She would beg. Right now pride was not on the top of her lists of needs. At the very top was Ruby. She was all that mattered. The most important thing in her life.

Ruby gazed at Yang for what seemed like forever before her hands came up to Yang’s. One hand moving over her tight grip while the other cupped Yang’s cheek. Her face softened as if giving in before nodding. “Alright Yang. I promise. I won’t go…” She leaned in, pressing her forehead to Yang’s as the heat slowly started to go down. “I’m right here.”

Her grip on Ruby’s arm loosened before it moved around the younger girl’s back and brought her in for a hug. She pressed her face to Ruby’s neck, the pain that had overtaken her fading at last.

Yang held onto Ruby for several minutes before she hesitantly released the smaller girl from her grasp. Her younger sister slowly leaned back into a standing position but still stood close to her. “I’ll go tell Jaun and the other’s to come back later. I’ll be right back, okay?”

Yang gasped for a bit of air before nodding. “Okay…”

Ruby stared at her for a few moments as if to make sure Yang understood, taking a step back and then another before heading out toward the door. She paused at the arch way, looking back one final time. Yang watched her sister look right back at her, slight frown on her face, teeth biting on her lower lip. She exited a second later.

* * *

 By the next morning, the pain she had felt from the other day had faded. There was still a faint soreness but she was used to that by now. She heard some shuffling nearby, some cabinets opening and plates clattering before noticing it was coming from the kitchen. Ruby.

Yang saw her sister getting breakfast ready as she entered the kitchen. At least, her attempt at making breakfast. To anyone else, if would look like a circus act. Her little sister going from one place then the next, with a little help from her semblance, uncertain of which she should have started with first which ended up with her trying to do everything at the same time. She got some plates out, then she noticed she hadn’t put anything on the pan, then she tried to get some stuff out of the kitchen and so forth.

For a moment she thought that Ruby might have been preparing breakfast for team JNPR, but the lack of plates confirmed it was just for them plus Tai. She should probably apologise for how she acted. They were probably still distraught over the loss of their team mate. Yang still felt like she did what she had to in order to keep her sister from harm’s way but if they were going to be hanging around with Ruby, causing an argument wasn’t going to help. She didn’t want to force Ruby to choose between her and them. They were her friends too… If they still wanted to be friends with a cripple.

Hunters and civilians didn’t really mix.

Yang’s thoughts were interrupted when Ruby fell off the counter, a box of cereal flying into the air, flakes scattering about the room. The small girl laid in the middle of them, groaning loudly as the cereal rained down on her.

Yang couldn’t help letting a snicker out, which gained the flake covered girl’s attention. “Even with one arm, I’m still a better cook then you.”

“It’s hard!” Cereal girl argued.

“It’s cereal.” Not that hard.

“Not just cereal!” Ruby tried to make clear as if it would justify her fall more. “I was going to make scrambled eggs with bacon, that little half cut fruit like they show in the commercials. The whole thing!”

“The fact that you don’t even know what that fruits called doesn’t help your case.”

“Well do _ you  _ know?”

“Grapefruit.”

“I knew that…” Ruby lied. “I was just testing you.”

“Ahuh…” Yang’s smirk continued on as she offered a hand to help her little sister up. Ruby paused for a moment before taking the hand. “So, what’s the occasion?” Ruby used to try and cook when she was younger, the results not much better. If anything, she had improved. Nothing was burned. Yet.

“I…” Ruby’s face scrunched when Yang helped brush off the remaining flakes on her hair. “I wanted to make breakfast… as an apology…” The little girl’s hands were behind her back as she kicked around a few flakes.

Yang’s face immediately softened before bringing Ruby into her embrace.. “Ruby… it’s fine. What’s done is done. You’re here and that’s all that matters.” She felt Ruby’s hands raise up her sides before slowly wrapping around her. “So try not to burn the house down, alright?”

Ruby nodded into her neck, some wet drops brushing against Yang’s skin. “Okay…”

“But seriously, don’t burn down the house.” Yang pointed to the pan that was burning whatever it was Ruby was trying to cook.

“My eggs!” Ruby was panicking as she ran around with a burning pan in hand before finally deciding to abandon the project and throw it in the sink where the water doused the flames. “I mixed it in a bowl and everything…”

Yang patted the distraught looking Ruby’s head as if to console her. If Ruby was born part faunus, she would be the cutest little whimpering puppy right now.

“Let’s just go with cereal.” You couldn’t burn cereal. She hoped.

“I’ll make toast!”

“No!” Just cereal.

Ruby slumped at the lack of faith before nodding. They sat across from one another on the table, flakes still decorated the floor as they poured themselves new bowls. They could clean it up later. Or Zwei could have it… whoever got there first.

“So… how are the others doing?” Yang asked. “I didn’t mean to scare them with…”

“They’re fine.” Ruby assured. “They feel just as guilty which is why they’re camping outside.”

“They don’t have to do that.” Now Yang felt even worse. “I mean, I doubt dad would mind the company.”

Ruby gave a soft smile before shaking her head. “I-It’s fine. They’ll only be staying for the day.”

“Then off to Mistral?” Yang guessed.

Ruby nodded. “Yea… off to Mistral…”

“We can give them supplies to help ease the trip.” Yang suggested.

“Yea…”

“Ruby…” Yang’s hand rested over her sisters. “They’ll be fine. Nora’s Nora. Ren’s good at tracking and being sneaky and Jaune… well there’s Nora.”

“Jaune’s improved a lot.” Ruby defended her friend.

He had but he still wasn’t as good as Pyrrha… and Pyrrha hadn’t been good enough to stop Cinder. Yang didn’t want her little sister to be put in that same situation. She didn’t want Ruby to… to…

“Yang…” Yang’s eyes looked up to see Ruby’s face wincing. “You’re gripping a bit tight…” Yang immediately pulled her arm back, her sister rubbing her sore wrist.

“Sorry…” Yang’s hand tightened into a fist. She hurt her sister. Ruby should never have to feel any pain, ever again. Especially from her.

“It’s fine.” Ruby’s hand touched hers. “Don’t be afraid to touch me.”

“...” Yang nodded, thumb rubbing her sister’s palm as she lost herself in the small appendage.

“Yang…” Ruby’s other hand went over hers. “You… You’re going to get treatment… right?”

“Hm?” Yang raised her head.

“You’re going to be okay… right? You’re going to get stronger? Better?”

“Of course.” Yang offered her best smile, though it didn’t do too much to assure Ruby. “Why do you ask?”

“I… I just want to make sure you’re going to be safe... I worry.”

“I’ll be fine, Ruby.” Yang gave her sister’s hand a light squeeze. “I have you with me.” Yang didn’t see why her sister frowned at that, though it was quickly replaced with a smile. A small smile, but it was there.

“Yea…” Ruby glanced to the side, chewing on her bottom lip.

“Hey…” Yang tugged on Ruby’s arm, getting her sister's attention. “You alright?” It was probably just the topic bringing back bad thoughts, but she still worried about Ruby.

“I’m fine!” Ruby held her sister’s hand up. “I’m just glad you’ll be okay…”

Ruby wasn’t fine, Yang could tell that from the look on her face. It reminded her of Summer’s. Like the day she left and never came back. Maybe it was just worry about Jaune and his team. Maybe it was just Ruby still adjusting to everything. It could have been a lot of things.

But it wasn’t.

Yang hadn’t understood Ruby’s expression at the time. Maybe if she had, she could have done something about it... said something or done something different. Instead, she smiled and patted the small girl on the head, trusting that it would all be okay.

The next day, she understood what that expression had meant.

The next day…

Ruby was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A push

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cooooooments! If you can kudo, you can comment. Thank you.  
> Oh, how I always worry about this chapter...

 

 **Beta:** _Coeur Al'Aran_

* * *

 

 

Weiss, Blake and now Ruby…

It didn’t seem possible...

Weiss and Blake leaving had been impossible too, hadn’t it? Yang had been so sure that even after they’d graduated, they would still be together as a team. Those days were long gone, Yang had… accepted that. Accepted that she pushed Weiss away, that Blake had run off and abandoned her.

She was willing to go on with that knowledge, as much as it hurt. But now…

It was too much. Ruby, her baby sister, the most precious thing left in Yang’s life?

It didn’t seem possible.

“Yang!” Her dad barged through the door. “Yang, did Ruby say anything to you?” To her? “Did she mention anything, anywhere she might be going? Any indication at all?”

Had she…?

Mistral…

“It’s my fault…”

She should have seen the signs. The hints. The clues. Ruby had been training, getting stronger and learning how to fight again. Was that why she had been so nervous to practice in front of her, because she’d been afraid Yang would realize what was going on? And the team. They had come over wanting to recruit her and Ruby, but they had only left with Ruby.

 _“Don’t you want to find the people who did all of this?”_ Yang recalled their conversation; Ruby’s question, and her response.

_“Why bother?”_

Was that when Ruby stopped asking her to come with them?

_“You told her?! Jaune!”_

That was when Ruby had given up. Those words made it clear Yang hadn’t been invited, that Ruby alone had decided her sister would not be coming with them on their journey.

“It’s all my fault…”

Yang felt her father’s hands grasp her shoulders, his forehead touching hers. “It’s not your fault.” But it was. “You couldn’t have known.” Yes, she could have. She had just been too wrapped up in her own problems to notice. “I’m going to go look for Ruby.” Yang felt him kiss her forehead. “Stay in bed. I’ll find her.”

He wouldn’t. She knew. How much of a head start did Ruby have? Hours? Half a day? Did she leave while they were all sleeping? If they had been living in the same room, maybe Yang could have heard her sneak out in the night. She could have shouted for Tai to stop her or at least gone with her. But she had decided against it. _All to make myself feel better… to wallow in my self pity._

“There’s food in the fridge if you get hungry. If anyone knocks on the door, ignore them.” Yang didn’t respond once in her dad’s rant. She was too focused on her own thoughts, on her own failures, her own missed chances.

She heard her door slam shut, the front door a moment later. Tai was gone. Off on a futile attempt to find his daughter. He’d be back in a few hours. He’d probably go out searching till dark. Maybe come back a little earlier because Yang was waiting, because he would worry about her, thinking she couldn’t do anything. And he was right to think that, wasn’t he?

How many obvious signs had there been that she overlooked?

There was the training. Ruby had been stretching and getting back in shape. The scroll call to her friends coming to Patch. Those friends had clearly been Jaune, Nora and Ren.

Then there were the questions. Ruby asked all about her. If she was alright given her condition, if she would get help. If she would get better.

Looking back, she wished she could have given different answers. Whatever Ruby wanted to hear - whatever needed to be said. Whatever would have kept them together. Whether Ruby stayed or Yang went with her. Even if she couldn’t fight like the others, she would at least be with Ruby. Could have taken care of her emotionally if not physically.

_Come back Ruby, please… I’ll come with you - I’ll train, I’ll get stronger. I’ll do whatever it is you wanted me to do. Just give me another chance…_

But she wouldn’t. There were no second chances. That had been made abundantly clear to her. There hadn’t been with Summer.

Now there were none with Ruby.

She had failed… again.

And all because of her stupid self pity. Because she had been too focused on her own problems to not notice her sister's, even when she was practically saying it right to her face!

It was all her fault. Yang looked to her palm before clenching it into a fist, teeth bared as her gums tightened and ignored any pain that arose. She wanted to beat something up. She wanted to fight. To let loose. To do...something. Her body lost its rage as soon as it came when she thought about Ruby. Her smile, her laugh, everything about Ruby she would never see again.

“Come back…” Yang’s palm pressed over her left eye. Tears trickling down her face. “Please…” Even if she couldn’t convince Ruby to stay, at the very least, take her too. Just...

Come back…

* * *

It was no surprise to Yang when her father came back empty handed. She knew he wouldn’t find Ruby but something in her broke all the same as it was made one hundred percent clear.

She fell apart.

Three days passed and Yang’s fragile condition grew worse without Ruby’s presence. She ate just enough to keep the pain away, spoke to Tai only when it was absolutely necessary, and she hadn’t the energy to bathe since she learned of Ruby’s absence. It had gotten to the point where Yang didn’t even look up when her father came in with a plate of snacks and sweet meats anymore.

She all but ignored any friends that came to see how she was, telling Tai that she didn’t want to see them and ignoring the ones that came in anyway. She didn’t care what they thought of her. They already looked down on her. What did it matter if she added to it?

She didn’t care about her so-called friends or their concerns. She didn’t care that her father was fretting over her. The only thing she cared about right now was Ruby. She wanted to see her. To be with her. To protect and console her… so maybe Ruby could comfort her in turn.

“Yang…” She didn’t even look up when her dad came in, nor when he heard a chair pulled up beside her bed. She didn’t see the point in responding. “Yang, we need to talk.”

She continued to stare at the sheets over her legs, still and unresponsive. Normally, when she refused to acknowledge him, he would leave her alone... maybe attempt a few sweet words of comfort or assurance before leaving. This time, however, was different. A good minute or so passed with neither of them saying anything. She could still feel him sitting there, staring at the side of her head. It was starting to get on her nerves.

“What do you want?”

“What I want, is for my baby girl to stop wasting away in front of me.”

“I’m fine.” Yang could hear the slight growl in her voice.

“Yang, you’ve lost weight.”

“I haven’t been weighed.” Yang responded.

“It’s apparent.” her father rebutted. “You don’t need to be weighed.”

“It’s my body.”

“And your hair.” Yang flinched when her dad reached for a lock of her hair and giving it a light tug. “It’s in knots.”

“So what?”

“The Yang i know would never even consider letting her hair fall anywhere near this state.”

“Well maybe that Yang is dead.”

“She’s not.” Yang felt her father’s rough hands grab her shoulders and force her to look into his eyes. They were angry, but also filled with some other emotion. Grief? Sadness? Concern? She couldn’t tell. “She’s sitting right in front of me, slowly being suffocated by her own mind and she doesn’t even realise or care.”

Yang tried to pull away but this time her father wasn’t having it.

“I know what it’s like to lose everything.” he continued. “I know what it’s like to be at rock bottom with no hope in sight. It’s not a good place and I don’t want to see you go through the same thing.”

Yang gave a weak attempt to pull away again but the result was the same as the last. What could he possibly know about-

“When your mother left…” Yang froze at the words. “I felt like this. All I wanted to do was lay in bed and try to forget the pain - to believe none of it happened.” Yang didn’t say anything. Her dad almost never mentioned her mom before. Part of her was listening out of pure curiosity. “I went over the scenarios over and over again in my head. Did I do something wrong? Were there signs of it coming? Could I have changed it if there had been?”

Yang’s head perked up, listening to his words despite her reluctance. Her father looked off into the middle distance, as though seeing something no one else could. It was like he was lost in his own thoughts. Even so… those things he described… she asked those same questions.

“What… what did you do?” Yang whispered.

“I learned to rely on others.” he said, smiling down on her. “Summer and your uncle Qrow helped me get back on my feet. They wouldn’t let me stay sulking in bed. They wouldn’t allow me to waste away and just give up on life. I resisted at first. I shouted with so much rage and flailed around like a little kid, but they never gave up on me. They took it all and made me see the world that was always before me. Encouraged me to look at my surroundings. To see my daughter.” Tai cupped Yang’s face, thumb rubbing her cheek with a warm smile. “It hurt, it hurt more than any wound, but with their help, I learned to live again. You can too.”

Yang felt a tear run down her cheek brushing against her father’s finger. “I… I can’t,” she whispered, “I don’t have any teammates… I don’t have any friends.” Yang tried to smile, but it came out bitter. Dead. “There’s no Summer or Qrow for me,” she whispered, “They all left me. I’m alone.”

“Y-Yang…” Her father realised his mistake, eyes going wide before he leaned in to try and console her further. “You’re not alone. I-I’m here. You have other friends who-”

Yang leaned away from her father’s touch, shaking her head. “They're not my friends anymore… I-I don’t think they ever were.” Not true friends like she had… like she’d thought she had. Before those had left too… were they not true friends either? The thought haunted her, burrowed beneath her skin and twisted thoughts and memories into painful barbs.

“Yang…”

“Leave me alone…”

“Yang, please…” His hand rested on her shoulder once more. “You can make new friends. You can-”

“LEAVE!” Yang snapped back at her father, eyes red with fury as her body gave out a dark glow. “This isn’t the same! I don’t have a team to look after me! I don’t have friends! Some of us don’t get second chances!”

Her father froze there for a moment, seeming to be thinking on what to say but the words coming just short of his mouth. He retracted his hand before standing up and heading toward the door. “I…” He paused at the door. “I know things are tough, sweetie. I know things seem hopeless and you feel alone, but I want you to know that I’m here for you. I’ll always be here for you…”

Weiss had said the same. She promised she wouldn't leave, no matter what.

She’d seen how that ended. She didn’t want to experience it again.

“Leave me alone…” Like everyone else had.

And with a sigh, he did.

* * *

 

Her father didn’t bother her for the rest of the day and she was glad for it. For a while she wondered if he had given up. It wasn’t till the next morning the door opened. Yang’s eyes were kept on the sheets, refusing to acknowledge his existence. She heard footsteps walk further into the room. Normally he’d have given up by now, driven away by her silence. It wasn’t until he spoke that she understood.

“You smell terrible.”

The voice was a little deeper, bored and disinterested. It wasn’t her father, and when she realised who it was, she sighed. “What are you doing here?” Her eyes remained on her sheets. Before, Taiyang had sought to cheer her up by inviting her friends over. Why he’d thought to invite one of Ruby’s, however, Yang had no idea.

“I was asked to check up on you.” he said, “If you could pretend to recover, I can leave.”

“Why would dad ask _you_ of all people to look after me? You’re Ruby’s friend. Not mine.” He’d never been hers, and never would be. Something about him rubbed her the wrong way… always had. Ruby had a habit for picking up the strangest of people, however, case in point for her friendship of both Weiss and Jaune.

“Did I say it was your father who asked me?”

For the first time, Yang raised her head. Ruby…? Lilac eyes locked onto yellow. The color was a painful reminder of a partner she had lost. The animal ears atop his head didn’t help either.

“Not so dead after all.” the man said. “I suppose that’s my goal accomplished. Goodbye.”

“Wait!” Yang’s call halted his departure. “Do you… do you know where Ruby is?”

“Mistral.” He shrugged. “Or the general area.”

“You don’t know where?”

“I don’t think Ruby knows where either. She’s running on rumors.”

A growl slipped out of her and she clutched her arm as she fought to stay calm. “Take me to her. I need to speak to her.”

“No.”

“Why not?” Damn him.

He shrugged. “I can’t. I don’t know her location and even if I did, you’d collapse before you made it out the door.”

“I’ll manage.”

“Poorly...”

“Damn it, Mauve!” Yang slammed her hand on the bedside table, rattling the plate there. “Just take me to her!”

“I refuse. Also, that’s not my name.”

Like she cared! Yang gritted her teeth, eyes flashing red before she winced in pain. “You should at least be with her! You’re her friend, aren’t you?” For reasons she couldn’t understand, but still...

“I guess.” The faunus shrugged casually. It pissed Yang off even more. “She didn’t seem to want anyone else to join her…”

“So what?!” Yang straightened herself on the bed. “You should have insisted! You should have seen ahead of time and made it obvious you wanted to go!”

“But I didn’t want to go.”

Yang cursed. Of course he didn’t. She was talking about herself… projecting herself into his place. With a frown she flopped back down on the bed and turned away from him. “Just go away.”

“Can’t.”

“Why not?!” This shouldn’t be hard for him. If anything, this should be the easiest thing for him to do.

“Have to watch over you for the time being.” Yang felt a flare of irritation. “At least until you’re out of this mood.”

Mood? Mood?! She’d lost her school, her team, her best friend - even her sister! And he called what she was going through a _mood_? She sat back up and glared as he walked closer. Even with him standing and her in bed, his ears barely peeked above her head. He’d always been a stupid midget. “What are you doing?” she demanded.

“Sitting.” He took up the chair beside the table and did just that. “I don’t want to keep standing.”

She felt a strong urge to kick the chair over and send him sprawling on his ass. Wouldn’t be a far fall. “Well sit elsewhere. Like in another room, building or preferably another island.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I’ve lived here for a while. Don’t see a reason to leave.”

She could give him a reason. Instead she turned over, her back to him as she tried to fall asleep and forget this entire conversation and him as well. Before she could fall asleep however, she felt a finger point into her back. “What…” she ended up turning back to him, “are you doing?”

“Checking if you’re alive.”

“I’m breathing dumbass. Of course I’m alive.” She was just trying to sleep, damn it.

“Technically.” Yang raised a brow at him. “Technically alive. Survive and living, two different things. And then there are the eyes…”

Her eyes? Were they flaring up red again? She could certainly believe that.

“Hm… nothing.” He crossed his legs beneath himself, almost kneeling atop the chair. “Can you at least bathe?”

“Excuse me?”

“If I’m going to be here a while, I’d prefer if the room didn’t smell.”

He was _so_ asking for it. “It’s my body. I’ll do what I damn want with it.”

His eyes flicked to her arm. “Because you’ve done such a good job with it so far.”

That crossed the line.

“Fuck you.” she snarled, hair flickering slightly. “This happened because I was defending a friend. Because I was saving her life.” She grunted glancing away. “Not that you would know anything about that.”

“Probably not.” So fucking calm. “Where are they?”

“Who?”

“This friend you felt was worth an arm. Tell me where they are so I can find them. They can look after you instead of me.”

Yang’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes clenched shut as her shoulders rose and fell. _Stop asking,_ she begged inside her mind, _leave me alone._

“Did they leave with Ruby?” he asked, unheeding of her anguish.

“No…”

“They had to go back home?”

“...I don’t know.” Yang clenched her eyes shut. “She didn’t tell me.”

“She left you?”

Yang refused to answer.

“Some friend.”

Yang’s eyes snapped open, bright red as she was face to face with the faunus in an instant. Hand clutching his shirt as she dragged him close, his purple-tipped hair brushing against her face. “Mauve, I fucking swear…”

“Not my name.”

Not the fucking point!

Her hand gripped his shirt tighter. “Don’t insult Blake. Don’t you dare even think about it. Don’t even _say_ her name.”

“I thought you didn’t like her.” Yang just growled. “She left after you gave up an arm for her, yet you still defend her?”

“You weren’t there!” She didn’t know why that mattered. She was there and she still didn’t understand. Blake always had a reason for what she did. She may not always think everything through but she had her reasons, damn it! She fought that masked man for a reason! She left for a reason! What those reasons were, Yang didn’t know.

But she did have a reason, she had to.

Because if she didn’t…

No. Yang refused to believe that Blake just up and left with no reason in mind. That all their time together, all their battles, all the laughter, all the jokes… They couldn’t have meant nothing to Blake… right?

“Could you let go of me?” She was snapped out of her thoughts when the bastard finally spoke up. “Because you really do smell.”

Yang grunted before pushing him back into his seat. “So long as you don’t insult Blake…” If he had to stay, at least don’t mention her. He could not speak at all. That would be even better.

“Ahuh…” He brushed his shirt off. “So, about that shower.” Not this again. “Maybe it would help. Make you feel better. Would certainly make _me_ feel better.”

Well that was all the encouragement she needed, wasn’t it? “Sure, I’ll get right on it. After you leave.”

He sighed, possibly the first real sign of irritation from him. “A no then. Well, at least get out of bed and go outside. It would smell less. They say the fresh air is good for the soul...or something.”

“It’s snowing.”

“Picky.”

“Screw you, Mauve.”

“Not my name…” His ears twitched as he rubbed his forehead. “Maybe downstairs? You’ve got to be hungry. Would also let the smell air out.”

“I already ate.” Well she didn’t but he didn’t need to know that.

“I can tell.” he said sarcastically. “Because you’re so clearly full of energy.”

Yang turned back over and pulled the sheet over her head. If he wouldn’t go away, then she’d ignore him till he did. She didn’t want to speak to her father. She didn’t want to speak to her friends.

She just wanted her team back. She just wanted Ruby back.

For a good minute or so, there was no noise till he finally sighed. “So what?” She could hear him climb out of his chair, his voice filled with scorn. “You’re just going to lie in your bed wasting away like some living corpse pretending to be alive?”

Yang just gripped her sheets tighter.

“All because some stupid, ungrateful, girl abandoned you?”

Her fist smashed into his face. He flipped back over the chair, not prepared for the blow at all as Yang shot to her feet. “I warned you!” she shouted. “I fucking warned you!”

“Ow…” He rubbed his bruised cheek for a moment. “That… actually hurt.” He sounded surprised.

“Fucking glad to hear it!” Damn did that feel good. “You don’t get to come in here and insult my team! Not when you don’t know anything about them!” She raised her fist threateningly. “Get it?”

“Duly noted…”

“You better!” She took several deep breaths, body heating up, yet this time, there was no pain.

“So… do you feel better?” he asked. “You look more alive now than you did a minute ago.”

Yang looked to her shaking fist. She did feel better, in some strange way. Fighting had always been her catharsis. Even as she was angry now, so angry that her vision almost turned red, she still felt more energetic than she had for weeks. She glanced down at him, laying on the ground with a bruised cheek. “Did… did you do this on purpose? Make me angry so I’d feel better?” Was he… being nice?

“Did I make you punch me on purpose?” She nodded. “No. I just really wanted you to stop moping. Granted this seems to have worked, but I’d have preferred a less violent reaction.”

Okay, so not him being nice. Yang looked to Mauve then her fist. She and him had sparred before in the past. She always lost yet she knocked him on his ass just now. That was something she had trouble doing back when she had both arms. Granted she surprised him, but still...

Her body vibrated with energy, a thrill rushing through her. Her fist clenched and unclenched… she could feel the power behind it. Her chest rose and fell and for the first time in weeks, it wasn’t because she was hyperventilating or gasping for air from a nightmare.

It was because she felt something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

Adrenaline, satisfaction… determination.

Ruby was gone, yes, but only in the sense of distance between them. She was trapped in bed only because she thought she was, but if she could deck Mauve like that, then she could fight too. She could find Ruby. She could fix this.

“Get up.” She motioned to Mauve with her head before marching down the stairs. She felt alive again. She felt lighter, stronger, more aware, if only a bit, but that was enough. It was was all that she needed to get back on her feet. First things first, she needed a plan… a goal. Ruby, that was what had to be fixed. For that she needed energy, energy for her broken and battered body.

“Yang? What-” Her dad look puzzled by her sudden appearance. That she had actually gotten out of bed and come downstairs. She couldn’t blame him. She had been acting a lot like a shut in for the past three days.

“Food!” Her father jumped back at her proclamation before she rushed into the kitchen and grabbed whatever edible products she could. Some cold meat and bread. She also had a small cartridge of orange juice beside her. Screw the cups.

“What’s going on?” She saw her father looking to Mauve who came down the stairs.

“I think she’s hungry…”

“She’s hungry?” Her dad looked at her for a moment as she ate away at the food. “She’s hungry… She’s Hungry!” She heard Mauve’s protest at the hug he suddenly got along with the attempts to get away from it. “My daughters hungry! And she’s eating!”

“Let go now, please…” Mauve pleaded.

“You did it! She’s eating! My baby girl is eating! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” Yang rolled her eyes as her father picked the small faunus up, crushing him to his chest before spinning him around the room. “You’re a friend of the family now and forever!”

“Then show it by releasing me, please.”

Oh brother…

“Ah! You need something warm to eat!” Her dad dropped Mauve and went to the oven, taking out a pan along with some bacon and eggs. “Just give me a few minutes! I’ll have something whipped up in no time!”

Yang just gave a mumbled noise of approval as she ate what she already had. Warm food might be nice. It was still ash in her mouth, but it would give her more energy. She needed as much as she could get if she was to go find Ruby.

“Got any grapes?” Mauve asked.

“For you? I’ll go buy some!” Her dad just wouldn’t stop smiling. It was sort of unnerving. “Thank you, Fenrir!”

“The hell is Fenrir?” Yang smirked through her chewing when she saw Mauve’s ear twitch in annoyance.  He fixed a glare onto her, not that it did anything other than make her mood even better.

“Me…” He called out. “That’s my name…” He looked so frustrated for some reason. “So may I have those grapes now, please?”

“Ah! Right! One minute.” Her dad took the time to cook her some food. Bacon and eggs if she smelled correctly. He served up the food with a wide smile on his face. “Go on.” Seemed like he wasn’t going to go till she took a bite.

Yang sighed but did so anyway. With some effort, she cut a piece of bacon and ate it. Some bread followed up after. She swore her dad squealed a bit.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes!” He got his coat and snow boots on. “I’ll go get you those grapes and some more food to cook later!” Well, that didn’t sound bad. “Help yourself to anything else!”

The minutes passed after her dad had left and the sound of her eating was the only noise.

“Got any jam?” Mauve finally asked from the border of the living room.

“In the fridge.” Yang said distractedly, eyes flicking through the cupboards as she considered what to take with her. She’d need food that lasted, but not anything that couldn’t be cooked with one hand. Money? Her dad probably had some lien lying around. He wouldn’t mind if she took it.

“In the fridge…” He seemed a bit disappointed for some reason but retrieved the jam nonetheless along with some bread before spraying some on it. “Ruby used to keep the jam out of the fridge…”

“Why?” Yang felt the urge to ask.

“Tastes better that way.”

“Warm jam?” Yang glanced around the kitchen, looking under the sink and taking out a rucksack. Dad always kept his camping gear close to hand like that.

“Frozen jam isn’t as sweet.”

“Ahuh… could always stick it in the microwave and heat it up.” She got a few travel friendly packets of food, some canned beans, travel rations and the like. May not taste that good but nothing really did anymore. They all found their home in the bag’s confines

  
“Yea… I could if I wanted to burn your house down. Who microwaves jam? Besides, it would just get soggy.”

“Guess so.” Yang slammed the bag down onto the table, shutting all the pockets and straps.

Mauve glanced up to her, eyes narrowed. “What are you doing?”

“Going camping.”  Yang scoffed. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s a bit cold outside for camping.”

“I’m a tough girl.” She could handle it.

“Was.” Yang shot Mauve a glare. “Not so much right now.”

“Tough enough to deck you in the face.” Yang grunted.

“Glad you think so highly of me.”

“Words cannot express.” Yang pulled the rucksack over her shoulder before turning for the door. “Well, see ya. I’d say it’s been fun but I’d rather not lie.”

Her progress was stopped towards the door, the midget standing in her way, still eating jam.

“Move.” He just took another bite of his bread. “I’ll smack you in the schnoz again.”

“Punch.” He muttered through his eating. “It was a punch and I was caught off guard.”

“That the excuse you wanna use?” She’d be happy to test that theory. Her eyes narrowed, aggravation building up. “I’ll ask one more time, move.” He was standing in her way. In her way of finding Ruby. No one would stand in her way.

“Pretty cold even by the door.” Mauve said. “It’s only colder outside.”

“I’ll manage.” She was a walking furnes.

“You won’t.”

“I will.”

“You’ll die.”

“What do you even care?” He should be the last person stopping her.

“Made a promise.”

Yang growled at the reminder. “Well break it.”

“Don’t feel like it.”

Yang’s fist clenched.

“You need time.” Mauve said. “Time to recover, regain your strength, and so forth. That one meal isn’t going to make up for all the ones you’ve missed.”

Yang knew he was right. She knew she wasn’t as strong as she use to be. Not even close. But even so, waiting any longer would be too dangerous. If Ruby ran into Cinder, it would just be another repeat of Pyrrha. And that was something she could not allow.

She struck suddenly. She winced when she hit the door as Mauve ducked beneath her fist. She swung around with one leg but he caught it, pushing her off balance as she tried to steady herself against the door. She yelped when he pulled on her leg and made her fall forward. Lungs heaving, she got back up and rushed at him with another punch to the face, followed by a kick. He dodged each blow with ease, never striking back but rather putting distance between them which she tried to close.

“You’re tired, sloppy, out of practice.”

“Shut up!” Her fist slammed into the wall, knuckles cracking. She rushed at him again, this time he took a half step to the side before tripping her. She crashed against the wall before sliding down.

“And cranky.”

Yang seethed as her chest rose and fell. Body shaking as she steadied herself back up against the wall. What was wrong with her? She could have kept up this pace for hours. Even if she never beat him before, she did a hell of a lot better than this.

“How are you still so strong?” Yang growled. “You didn’t go to Beacon or any combat school! You stayed here in Patch. How am I still weaker than you?” How was there this much of a difference?

“I’m no stronger now than I was then. You’re the one who has grown weaker. You’re exhausted and half starved. If you fought me two weeks ago, you might well have won.”

Yang took several heavy breaths, bangs over her eyes as she glanced at her hand. After a few more moments, she took a seat on the living room couch, letting out a sigh of defeat. He was right, although she’d never admit it. It wasn’t that he was strong or that she was weak. She was just out of practice, still suffering the consequences of being out of action for so long. Much like Ruby had, she would need to get back into shape. That would include healthy meals, exercise and daily training.

“That’s better.” Yang snarled as he took a seat across from her. “Just take your time and recover.” He bit into his snack again.

“Yea… and you’re going to help me.”

He was now choking on his bread, yellow eyes wide with horror.

“Come again?”

Yang smirked. “You heard me.”

For the first time, Yang enjoyed the loud whine that emanated from Ruby’s friend’s lips. Ruby would have to wait for now, but she would be safe. The others would look after her. Yang wasn’t fixed herself, either, but she was patched up enough to make the choice to follow.

_Wait for me Ruby, I’m coming._


End file.
